Striped blister beetle

Scientific name: Epicauta sp.
(Coleoptera: Meloidae)

Facts: Blister beetles can cause blisters on skin if they walk on it because of a substance that they produce. This substance is very toxic and a horse can be killed if it ingests 2 or more of these blister beetles. The toxin is still active even after the beetles die. There are more than one species of blister beetles that are striped in Texas. Blister beetles come in many colors including black, gray, yellow, and metallic blue. They can also have a variety of markings especially spots and stripes.

Photo credit:   Bastiaan (Bart) Drees, Extension Entomology, Texas A&M University