Pedilus lugubris was found associated with Epicauta murina feeding on Lathyrus venosus foliage and with E. fabricii feeding on Lupinus perennis flowers. Epicauta cinerea and E. funebris were found feeding on foliage of Anemone canadensis and Physalis heterophylla, respectively. This is the first reported association of P lugubris with any species of Epicauta, and the first reported use of Lathyrus venosus by E. murina, of Lupinus perennis by E. fabricii, of Anemone canadensis by E. cinerea and of Physalis heterophylla by E. funebris

Williams, Andrew H

Young, Daniel K

English

ValpoScholar

The Great Lakes Entomologist 
Volume 32 
Numbers 1 & 2 - Spring/Summer 1999 Numbers 
1 & 2 - Spring/Summer 1999 
Article 12 
April 1999 
Attraction of Pedilus Lugubris (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) to 
Epicauta Murina and Epicauta Fabricii (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and 
New Food Plant Records for Epicauta Spp. 
Andrew H. Williams 
University of Wisconsin 
Daniel K. Young 
University of Wisconsin 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle 
 Part of the Entomology Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Williams, Andrew H. and Young, Daniel K. 1999. "Attraction of Pedilus Lugubris (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) 
to Epicauta Murina and Epicauta Fabricii (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and New Food Plant Records for 
Epicauta Spp.," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 32 (1) 
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol32/iss1/12 
This Peer-Review Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. 
It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. 
For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. 
1999 97THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOlOGIST 
ATIRACTION OF PEDILUS LUGUBRIS (COLEOPTERA: PYROCHROIDAEl 

TO EPICAUTA MURINA AND EPICAUTA FABRICII (COLEOPTERA: 

MELOIDAE) 
AND NEW 
FOOD PLANT RECORDS FOR EPICAUTA SPP. 

Andrew H. Williams! and Daniel K. Young] 
ABSTRACT 
Pedilus lugubris was found associated with Epicauta murina feeding on 
Lathyrus venosus foliage and with E. fabricii feeding on Lupinus perennis 
flowers. Epicauta cinerea and E. funebris were found feeding on foliage of 
Anemone canadensis and Physalis heterophylla, respective y. This is the first 
reported association ofP lugubris with any species ofEpicauta, and the first 
reported use of Lathyrus 
venosus 
by E. murina, of Lupinus perennis by E. 
fabricii, ofAnemone canadensis by E. cinerea and of Physalis heterophylla by 
E. 
funebris. 
Many Epicauta 
cinerea 
(Forster) were found feeding on the leaves of 
Anemone canadensis in moist prairie vegetation on the after oon of 22 July 
1997, in Richland County, Wisconsin. These i cluded both the margined and 
cinereous 
forms; 
series of four of each form were collected. Many Epicauta fu­
nebris Horn were found feeding and mating on the leaves of Physalis hetero­
phylla in prairie vegetation on the afternoon of 9 August 1997, in Columbia 
County, Wisconsin, and three were collected. 
Twenty Epicauta murina (LeConte) were found feeding and mating on 
the youngest leaves of Lathyrus venosus in prairie vegetation on the after­
noon of 6 June 1997, in Dunn County, Wisconsin. Several Pedilus lugubris 
(Say) were very close to them. Five E. murina were collected by grasping 
them with 
fingers 
and pushing them into vials containing ethanol, wetting 
the 
fingers 
in the process. Sho tly thereafter, two P lugubris landed on the 
dried hand and one of these chewed the tip of a finger; these were collected, 
with 
four 
others. 
Several Epicauta fabricii (LeConte) were found feeding on flowers of 
Lupinus 
perennis 
in prairie vegetation late in the morning of 11 June 1997, 
in Portage County, Wisconsin, and four were 
collected. 
Though Lathyrus 
venosus was also present, E. fabricii was seen only on Lupinus perennis. A 
single P. lugubris was present and was collected. 
In neither case was P. lugubris seen to touch an Epicauta. Specimens are 
deposited in the Insect Research Collection at the University of Wisconsin­
Madison. 
lDepartment of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706. 
1
Williams and Young: Attraction of Pedilus Lugubris (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae)
Published by ValpoScholar, 1999
98 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 32, No.1 & 2 
DISCUSSION 
Like all other studied species of M loidae, those in Epicauta produce can­
tharidin, which attracts various other fauna 
(Young 1984). 
Several species of 
Pedilus have been observed in association with Meloe spp. (see Young 1984), 
including 
P 
lugubris with Meloe angusticollis Say (LeSage and Bousquet 
1983, Butler 1984 (as P collaris (Say), see Young 1981». Pedilus labiatus 
(Say) has been reported near caged E. fabricii (Abdullah 1964). Observations 
reported here are the first 
for P 
lugubris associated with any Epicauta 
species, the first for any speci s that is attracted to cantharidin being at­
tracted 
to 
E. murina, and of a second species of Pedilus being attracted to E. 
fabricii, presumably via cantharidin. 
Adults of both E. murina and E. fabricii favor food plants in Fabaceae 
(Werner 
1945). 
Epicauta murina has been reported to feed on alfalfa, Con­
volvulus arvensis, flax, legumes, Melilotus officinalis, potato plants, radish 
leaves and sugar beet (Carruth 1931, Werner 1945, Kirk and Balsbaugh 
1975, Arnold 1976). Epicauta fabricii has been reported to feed on flowers, fo­
liage, or both of alfalfa, Amorpha canescens (flowers), Astragalus, Baptisia 
leucantha, B. tinctoria, bea s, C ragana (Siberian pea), clover, cowpeas, 
honey 
locust, 
Kentucky coffee tree, lupines, Melilotus alba, M. officinalis, 
peas, Robinia 
pseudo-acacia 
and soybeans in Fabaceae, as well as on 
anemones, chrysanthemums, 
ironweed, potato, 
sugar beet, sweet potato, and 
tomato in other 
families 
(Harris 1841, Claypole 1881, Wickham 1896, Chit­
tenden 
1898, 
Blatchley 1910, Robertson 1928, Carruth 1931, Gilbertson and 
Horsfall 
1940, 
Horsfall 1943, Werner 1945, Werner et al. 1966, Kirk and 
Balsbaugh 
1975, Arnold 1976, Blodgett 
and Higgins 1988). There are several 
reports of E. fabricii damaging potato vines (Harris 1841, Wickham 1896, 
Blatchley 
1910, 
Gilbertson and Horsfall 1940, Horsfall 1943, Kirk and Bals­
baugh 
1975), 
but these reports of other non-leguminous food plants (Chitten­
den 
1898, 
Blatchley 1910, Kirk and Balsbaugh 1975) may warrant confirma­
tion. Th s is the first report of E. murina feeding on Lathyrus venosus foliage 
and ofE. fabricii feeding on Lupinus perennis flowers. 
Adults of E. cinerea have been reported to feed only on Clematis (Pinto 
1991). This is the first report ofE. cinerea feeding on Anemone canadensis fo­
liage, and of the cinereous form of this beetle occurring in Wisconsin (Pinto 
1991). Both Clematis and Anemone are in Ranunculaceae. Adults of E. fune­
bris have been reported to feed on a variety of plants, including both native 
species in Solanum and crops in Solanaceae (Pinto 1991). This is the f rst re­
port 
of
E. funebris feeding on Physalis heterophylla foliage; Physalis is also in 
Solanaceae. 
LITERATURE CITED 
Abdullah, M. 1964 .. The natural classification and new species of Pedilus Fischer 
(Coleoptera,Anthicidae, 
Pedilinae). Deutsch. Entomol. Ztschr. [N.S.] 11:145-·174. 
Arnold, D. C. 1976. 
Blister beetles of Oklahoma. Oklahoma St. Univ. Exp. Sta. Tech. 
Bull. T-145. 68 pp. 
Blatchley, W S. 1910. An illustrated descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera or beetles 
(exclusive of Rhynchophora) kn wn to occur in Indiana. The Nature Publishing Co., 
Indianapolis, Indiana. 
1386 pp. Blodgett, 
S. 
L. and R. A. Higgins 1988. Blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) in 
Kansas: historical perspective and results of an intensive alfalfa 
survey. 
J. Eeon. 
Entomol. 81:1456-1462. 
2
The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 32, No. 1 [1999], Art. 12
https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol32/iss1/12
1999 99THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOlOGIST 
Butler, L. 1984. Additional observations on the association of Pedilus (Pedilidae) with 
Meloe (Coleoptera: Meloidael. Entomol. News 95:101-102. 
Carruth, L, A. 
1931. Meloidae 
of South Dakota. Entomo!. News 42:50-55. 
Chittenden, F. H. 1898. Insects injurious to beans and peas. USDA Yearbook 233-260. 
Claypole, E. W. 1881. Notes on Lytta (blister-beetles). Entomo!. Soc. Ontario Rept. 
1881:31-32. 
Gilbertson, 
G. 
I. and W. R. Horsfall. 1940. Blister beetles and their contro!' South 
Dakota 
Agr. Exp. 
Sta. Bull. 340. 23 pp. 
Harris, T. W. 
1841. 
Report on the insects of Massachusetts, injurious to vegetation. 
Mass. Zool. and Bot. Survey, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 459 pp. 
Horsfall, W. R. 1943. Biology and control of common blister beetles in Arkansas. Univ. 
Arkansas 
Agric. Exp. 
Sta. BulL 436. 55 pp. 
Kirk, V. M. and E. U. Balsbaugh, Jr. 1975, A list of the beetles of South Dakota. South 
Dakota 
St. Univ. Agric. Expt. 
Sta. Tech. Bull. 42. 138 pp. 
LeSage, L. and Y. Bousquet. 1983. A new record of attacks by Pedilus {Pedilidael on 
Meloe (Meloidae: Coleoptera). Entomo!. News 94: 95-96. 
Pinto, J. D. 1991. The taxonomy of North American Epicauta (Coleoptera: MeloidaeJ, 
with 
a revision 
of the nominate subgenus and a survey of courtship behavior. Univ. 
Cal. Pub!. Entomo!. 110:1--372 & fig. 16-303. 
Robertson, C. 1928. Flowers and Insects. Science Press Printing Co., Lancaster, Penn­
sylvania. 221 pp. 
Werner, F. G. 1945. A revision of the ge us Epicauta in America north of Mexico. Bul!. 
Mus. Compo Zool. 95: 421-517. 
Werner, .F'. G., W. R. Enns and F. H. Parker. 1966. The Meloidae of Arizona. Univ. Ari­
zona Agric. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. 175. 96 pp. 
Wickham, 
H. 
F. 1896. Coleoptera of Canada, XIV, Meloidae of Ontario andQuebec. 
Can. 
Entomol. 28:31-35. 
Young, D. K 1981. Bionomics, 
phylogeny and systematics of the North American 
species of Pedilus Fischer (Coleoptera: Pyrochro dael. Unpub!. Ph. D. dissertation 
Michigan State Univ., East Lansing. 
Young, D. K 1984. Cantharidin and insects: an historical review. Great Lakes Ento­
mo!. 17:187-194. 
3
Williams and Young: Attraction of Pedilus Lugubris (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae)
Published by ValpoScholar, 1999

Attraction of \u3ci\u3ePedilus Lugubris\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) to \u3ci\u3eEpicauta Murina\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eEpicauta Fabricii\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and New Food Plant Records for \u3ci\u3eEpicauta\u3c/i\u3e Spp.

Valparaiso University

The Great Lakes Entomologist Volume 32 Numbers 1 & 2 - Spring/Summer 1999 Numbers 1 & 2 - Spring/Summer 1999 Article 12 April 1999 Attraction of Pedilus Lugubris (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) to Epicauta Murina and Epicauta Fabricii (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and New Food Plant Records for Epicauta Spp. Andrew H. Williams University of Wisconsin Daniel K. Young University of Wisconsin Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Williams, Andrew H. and Young, Daniel K. 1999. "Attraction of Pedilus Lugubris (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) to Epicauta Murina and Epicauta Fabricii (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and New Food Plant Records for Epicauta Spp.," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 32 (1) Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol32/iss1/12 This Peer-Review Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. 1999 97THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOlOGIST ATIRACTION OF PEDILUS LUGUBRIS (COLEOPTERA: PYROCHROIDAEl TO EPICAUTA MURINA AND EPICAUTA FABRICII (COLEOPTERA: MELOIDAE) AND NEW FOOD PLANT RECORDS FOR EPICAUTA SPP. Andrew H. Williams! and Daniel K. Young] ABSTRACT Pedilus lugubris was found associated with Epicauta murina feeding on Lathyrus venosus foliage and with E. fabricii feeding on Lupinus perennis flowers. Epicauta cinerea and E. funebris were found feeding on foliage of Anemone canadensis and Physalis heterophylla, respective y. This is the first reported association ofP lugubris with any species ofEpicauta, and the first reported use of Lathyrus venosus by E. murina, of Lupinus perennis by E. fabricii, ofAnemone canadensis by E. cinerea and of Physalis heterophylla by E. funebris. Many Epicauta cinerea (Forster) were found feeding on the leaves of Anemone canadensis in moist prairie vegetation on the after oon of 22 July 1997, in Richland County, Wisconsin. These i cluded both the margined and cinereous forms; series of four of each form were collected. Many Epicauta fu­nebris Horn were found feeding and mating on the leaves of Physalis hetero­phylla in prairie vegetation on the afternoon of 9 August 1997, in Columbia County, Wisconsin, and three were collected. Twenty Epicauta murina (LeConte) were found feeding and mating on the youngest leaves of Lathyrus venosus in prairie vegetation on the after­noon of 6 June 1997, in Dunn County, Wisconsin. Several Pedilus lugubris (Say) were very close to them. Five E. murina were collected by grasping them with fingers and pushing them into vials containing ethanol, wetting the fingers in the process. Sho tly thereafter, two P lugubris landed on the dried hand and one of these chewed the tip of a finger; these were collected, with four others. Several Epicauta fabricii (LeConte) were found feeding on flowers of Lupinus perennis in prairie vegetation late in the morning of 11 June 1997, in Portage County, Wisconsin, and four were collected. Though Lathyrus venosus was also present, E. fabricii was seen only on Lupinus perennis. A single P. lugubris was present and was collected. In neither case was P. lugubris seen to touch an Epicauta. Specimens are deposited in the Insect Research Collection at the University of Wisconsin­Madison. lDepartment of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706. 1Williams and Young: Attraction of Pedilus Lugubris (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae)Published by ValpoScholar, 199998 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 32, No.1 & 2 DISCUSSION Like all other studied species of M loidae, those in Epicauta produce can­tharidin, which attracts various other fauna (Young 1984). Several species of Pedilus have been observed in association with Meloe spp. (see Young 1984), including P lugubris with Meloe angusticollis Say (LeSage and Bousquet 1983, Butler 1984 (as P collaris (Say), see Young 1981». Pedilus labiatus (Say) has been reported near caged E. fabricii (Abdullah 1964). Observations reported here are the first for P lugubris associated with any Epicauta species, the first for any speci s that is attracted to cantharidin being at­tracted to E. murina, and of a second species of Pedilus being attracted to E. fabricii, presumably via cantharidin. Adults of both E. murina and E. fabricii favor food plants in Fabaceae (Werner 1945). Epicauta murina has been reported to feed on alfalfa, Con­volvulus arvensis, flax, legumes, Melilotus officinalis, potato plants, radish leaves and sugar beet (Carruth 1931, Werner 1945, Kirk and Balsbaugh 1975, Arnold 1976). Epicauta fabricii has been reported to feed on flowers, fo­liage, or both of alfalfa, Amorpha canescens (flowers), Astragalus, Baptisia leucantha, B. tinctoria, bea s, C ragana (Siberian pea), clover, cowpeas, honey locust, Kentucky coffee tree, lupines, Melilotus alba, M. officinalis, peas, Robinia pseudo-acacia and soybeans in Fabaceae, as well as on anemones, chrysanthemums, ironweed, potato, sugar beet, sweet potato, and tomato in other families (Harris 1841, Claypole 1881, Wickham 1896, Chit­tenden 1898, Blatchley 1910, Robertson 1928, Carruth 1931, Gilbertson and Horsfall 1940, Horsfall 1943, Werner 1945, Werner et al. 1966, Kirk and Balsbaugh 1975, Arnold 1976, Blodgett and Higgins 1988). There are several reports of E. fabricii damaging potato vines (Harris 1841, Wickham 1896, Blatchley 1910, Gilbertson and Horsfall 1940, Horsfall 1943, Kirk and Bals­baugh 1975), but these reports of other non-leguminous food plants (Chitten­den 1898, Blatchley 1910, Kirk and Balsbaugh 1975) may warrant confirma­tion. Th s is the first report of E. murina feeding on Lathyrus venosus foliage and ofE. fabricii feeding on Lupinus perennis flowers. Adults of E. cinerea have been reported to feed only on Clematis (Pinto 1991). This is the first report ofE. cinerea feeding on Anemone canadensis fo­liage, and of the cinereous form of this beetle occurring in Wisconsin (Pinto 1991). Both Clematis and Anemone are in Ranunculaceae. Adults of E. fune­bris have been reported to feed on a variety of plants, including both native species in Solanum and crops in Solanaceae (Pinto 1991). This is the f rst re­port ofE. funebris feeding on Physalis heterophylla foliage; Physalis is also in Solanaceae. LITERATURE CITED Abdullah, M. 1964 .. The natural classification and new species of Pedilus Fischer (Coleoptera,Anthicidae, Pedilinae). Deutsch. Entomol. Ztschr. [N.S.] 11:145-·174. Arnold, D. C. 1976. Blister beetles of Oklahoma. Oklahoma St. Univ. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. T-145. 68 pp. Blatchley, W S. 1910. An illustrated descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera or beetles (exclusive of Rhynchophora) kn wn to occur in Indiana. The Nature Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana. 1386 pp. Blodgett, S. L. and R. A. Higgins 1988. Blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) in Kansas: historical perspective and results of an intensive alfalfa survey. J. Eeon. Entomol. 81:1456-1462. 2The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 32, No. 1 [1999], Art. 12https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol32/iss1/121999 99THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOlOGIST Butler, L. 1984. Additional observations on the association of Pedilus (Pedilidae) with Meloe (Coleoptera: Meloidael. Entomol. News 95:101-102. Carruth, L, A. 1931. Meloidae of South Dakota. Entomo!. News 42:50-55. Chittenden, F. H. 1898. Insects injurious to beans and peas. USDA Yearbook 233-260. Claypole, E. W. 1881. Notes on Lytta (blister-beetles). Entomo!. Soc. Ontario Rept. 1881:31-32. Gilbertson, G. I. and W. R. Horsfall. 1940. Blister beetles and their contro!' South Dakota Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 340. 23 pp. Harris, T. W. 1841. Report on the insects of Massachusetts, injurious to vegetation. Mass. Zool. and Bot. Survey, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 459 pp. Horsfall, W. R. 1943. Biology and control of common blister beetles in Arkansas. Univ. Arkansas Agric. Exp. Sta. BulL 436. 55 pp. Kirk, V. M. and E. U. Balsbaugh, Jr. 1975, A list of the beetles of South Dakota. South Dakota St. Univ. Agric. Expt. Sta. Tech. Bull. 42. 138 pp. LeSage, L. and Y. Bousquet. 1983. A new record of attacks by Pedilus {Pedilidael on Meloe (Meloidae: Coleoptera). Entomo!. News 94: 95-96. Pinto, J. D. 1991. The taxonomy of North American Epicauta (Coleoptera: MeloidaeJ, with a revision of the nominate subgenus and a survey of courtship behavior. Univ. Cal. Pub!. Entomo!. 110:1--372 & fig. 16-303. Robertson, C. 1928. Flowers and Insects. Science Press Printing Co., Lancaster, Penn­sylvania. 221 pp. Werner, F. G. 1945. A revision of the ge us Epicauta in America north of Mexico. Bul!. Mus. Compo Zool. 95: 421-517. Werner, .F'. G., W. R. Enns and F. H. Parker. 1966. The Meloidae of Arizona. Univ. Ari­zona Agric. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. 175. 96 pp. Wickham, H. F. 1896. Coleoptera of Canada, XIV, Meloidae of Ontario andQuebec. Can. Entomol. 28:31-35. Young, D. K 1981. Bionomics, phylogeny and systematics of the North American species of Pedilus Fischer (Coleoptera: Pyrochro dael. Unpub!. Ph. D. dissertation Michigan State Univ., East Lansing. Young, D. K 1984. Cantharidin and insects: an historical review. Great Lakes Ento­mo!. 17:187-194. 3Williams and Young: Attraction of Pedilus Lugubris (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae)Published by ValpoScholar, 1999

https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1983&amp;context=tgle

Attraction of \u3ci\u3ePedilus Lugubris\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) to \u3ci\u3eEpicauta Murina\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eEpicauta Fabricii\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and New Food Plant Records for \u3ci\u3eEpicauta\u3c/i\u3e Spp.

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