American oil beetle, a part of the blister beetle (Meloidae) family, is indigenous to different parts of North America. They primarily feed on buttercup plants, hence also called the buttercup oil beetle.
Size: 7 -17 mm (0.27 – 0.66 inches)
Color: They are mostly dull or shiny black, while they can also come in other colors like blue.
Other Characteristic Features: Their large, bulky appearance and bumpy texture make them look as if they are out of shape. They also have a soft, enlarged abdomen covered with a shell resembling overlapping plates.
The larva is said to be the parasites of the ground-nesting bee species. Known for its devious nature, the larva awaits the bee’s landing on the flower and clings onto its back after spotting it. Upon getting to the hive, it stays there until it matures into an adult, feeding on the honey stores, pollen, nectar, and also the bee’s eggs and larvae at times.
Though specific details about the American oil beetle’s pupa remain unavailable, the pupal stage occurs in the beehive.
The eggs are small and round, mostly laid in the latter half of spring in burrows dug by the females near the host bees’ colonies. The eggs mostly hatch the following year to coincide with the time of the bees’ emergence.
| Other Names | Buttercup oil beetle |
| Lifespan | 3 – 5 months |
| Distribution | Parts of North America |
| Habitat | Grasses (like the alfalfa) and buttercup flowers |
| Common Predators | Birds and wasps |
| Seasons active from | Though active throughout the year, they mostly appear in spring (March – May) |
| Host Plants | Buttercup and different grass varieties |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Larva: Pollen, honey, and also eggs and larva of the bee Adults: Pollen and honey of its host plants, tomato, potato, alfalfa grass |
Since they feed on flowers and grasses, they damage the roots and leaves, though their intensity is unknown.
American oil beetle, a part of the blister beetle (Meloidae) family, is indigenous to different parts of North America. They primarily feed on buttercup plants, hence also called the buttercup oil beetle.
Size: 7 -17 mm (0.27 – 0.66 inches)
Color: They are mostly dull or shiny black, while they can also come in other colors like blue.
Other Characteristic Features: Their large, bulky appearance and bumpy texture make them look as if they are out of shape. They also have a soft, enlarged abdomen covered with a shell resembling overlapping plates.
The larva is said to be the parasites of the ground-nesting bee species. Known for its devious nature, the larva awaits the bee’s landing on the flower and clings onto its back after spotting it. Upon getting to the hive, it stays there until it matures into an adult, feeding on the honey stores, pollen, nectar, and also the bee’s eggs and larvae at times.
Though specific details about the American oil beetle’s pupa remain unavailable, the pupal stage occurs in the beehive.
The eggs are small and round, mostly laid in the latter half of spring in burrows dug by the females near the host bees’ colonies. The eggs mostly hatch the following year to coincide with the time of the bees’ emergence.
| Other Names | Buttercup oil beetle |
| Lifespan | 3 – 5 months |
| Distribution | Parts of North America |
| Habitat | Grasses (like the alfalfa) and buttercup flowers |
| Common Predators | Birds and wasps |
| Seasons active from | Though active throughout the year, they mostly appear in spring (March – May) |
| Host Plants | Buttercup and different grass varieties |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Larva: Pollen, honey, and also eggs and larva of the bee Adults: Pollen and honey of its host plants, tomato, potato, alfalfa grass |
Since they feed on flowers and grasses, they damage the roots and leaves, though their intensity is unknown.
