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Blister Beetle


Blister Beetle
Photo Information
Copyright: Ram Thakur (ramthakur) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3021 W: 112 N: 8075] (26117)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-07-21
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon D200, Sigma 18-200 Zoom F3.5-6.3 DC
Exposure: f/10.0, 1/250 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2008-07-31 21:19
Viewed: 594
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Blister Beetle

Scientific Name: Varies

Order: Coleoptera

Description: Blister beetles vary by species in shape, size (3/8 to 1 inch long) and color (solid gray to black or with paler wing margins, metallic, yellowish striped or spotted). Most are long, cylindrical narrow-bodied beetles that have heads that are wider than the first thoracic segment (pronotum). The wing (elytra) covers are usually soft and pliable. Although over 100 species occur in Texas, common blister beetles include:, the black blister beetle; Epicauta pennsylvanica (De Geer), E. occidentalis (east and central Texas) and E. temexa (south Texas) are mostly orangish-yellow with three black stripes on each of the wing covers (elytra). A west Texas species, Cysteodemus armatus LeConte, has wing covers that are broadly oval and convex, colored black with bluish or purplish highlights.

Life Cycle: Complete metamorphosis; hypermetamorphosis. Winter is spent in later larval stages and pupation occurs in the spring. The pupal stage lasts about 2 weeks and adults appear in early summer. Female beetles lay clusters of eggs in the soil. The first stage (instar) larva hatching from the egg (triungulin) is a tiny, active, long-legged larva that seeks the appropriate host. Once there, the larva develops through a number of stages, each with progressively reduced appendages and increasingly grub-like in appearance. The first number of larval stages develop within about month, but the second to the last (pseudopupa) can remain for about 230 days before molting into the last (sixth) larval stage in the spring. Generally, one generation occurs per year although some develop in 35 to 50 days while in others, development takes 3 years.

Habitat and Food Source(s): Mouthparts are for chewing. Blister beetle species feed on flowers and foliage of a wide variety of crops including alfalfa, ornamental plants, potatoes, soybeans, garden vegetables and other plants. Immature stages feed on grasshopper eggs, live in solitary bee hives or are predaceous, depending on species. Adults can be found on flowers or infested crops. Care should be taken to not handle them. Never handle blister beetles preserved in alcohol because the cantharadin dissolves in alcohol and will cause blisters on the skin.

Pest Status: Adults usually occur in loose groups or swarms that feed on leaves of certain plants, especially legumes. Their bodies contain a toxin (cantharadin) that can cause blisters to form on the skin. Animals, particularly horses, ingesting beetle contaminated feed become extremely ill and may die. Handling blister beetles can cause blisters on the skin as a reaction to cantharadin. Larval stages feed on grasshopper eggs or are predaceous and are thus considered to be beneficial, although a few species feed in nests of solitary bees.

Source:http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/bimg167.html

Exif data:Nikon D200
2008/07/17 08:18:45.4
RAW (12-bit)
Image Size: Large (3872 x 2592)
Color
Lens: 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 G
Focal Length: 200mm
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Spot
1/250 sec - F/10
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 400
Optimize Image: Vivid
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-C
Flash Sync Mode: Rear Curtain
Auto Flash Mode: Built-in TTL
Auto Flash Comp: 0 EV
Color Mode: Mode III (sRGB)
Tone Comp.: Normal
Hue Adjustment: 0°
Saturation: Enhanced
Sharpening: high
Long Exposure NR: Off
High ISO NR: On (Normal)
marine-coeur, jusninasirun, red45, sranjan, eqshannon, JORAPAVI, sandpiper2, Silvio2006, Janice, JoseMiguel, siggi, Alex99, marhowie, haraprasan has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To JoseMiguel: Where have you been??ramthakur 2 08-02 04:34
To uleko: Hiramthakur 1 08-02 00:07
To sranjan: Hiramthakur 1 08-01 22:51
To haraprasan: Hiramthakur 1 07-31 21:55
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Mr. Ram,
A nice capture of this red blister beetle. But I think the flower are over exposed and I also find the BG very much white and it looks distracting. But the focus is good and also I like the composition. I have done a WS (Sorry I was unsuccessful with the flower). Hope you will like. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Sincerely
HP

Hello Ram,
Very good comp & POV. The beetle itself looks great with nice detail/DOF, and color.
But in your effort to expose the dark colors of the insect, the BG has overpowered the image IMHO. I think the WS by HP has helped here..
Howard

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3157 W: 148 N: 4782] (15437)
  • [2008-07-31 22:51]

Hi Ram.
Unusual white BG of a very nice close-up. You managed to reflect al features of the nice beetle perfectly. POV and composition are superb. However, petals of the beautiful flower are looked OE a bit. My best wishes and TFS.
Alexei.

Hi Ram,
You really got close to this b. beetle.
I like the details, textures and colours got on the insect.
Perhaps the proper exposure is the most difficult thing to achieve, when dealing with absolute blacks on the image, like in this case.
Thanks a lot and best regards,
JM

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 454 W: 11 N: 1299] (4552)
  • [2008-08-01 0:36]

Nice work Ram the sharpness and detail is superb with good background contrast. colourfull beetle. TFS rgds Siggi.

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2575 W: 170 N: 7847] (24815)
  • [2008-08-01 0:44]
  • [+]

Hello Ram,
It is really hard to get the right exposure for these dark insects. I think this would have been great if the background had been darker. I wonder if you used the fill-flash?
Nevertheless the Beetle looks great on its own with good details and fine colours.
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 996 W: 4 N: 2568] (11866)
  • [2008-08-01 1:39]

Hello Ram Sir,
I am not sure whether you had used the flash or you had shot this during mid noon time. I had a look at the WS done by HP. I some how liked the HP version. But besides the flower the insect is perfectly captured. Ganesh

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1106 W: 6 N: 3060] (11310)
  • [2008-08-01 2:12]

Hi Ram,i know how isn't easy to take perfectly this terribles bugs,especially on the white background,i like a lot your perfect work,excellents details and colors,sincerly i prefere the post on workshop,my best compliment,Luciano

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3464 W: 145 N: 5942] (17790)
  • [2008-08-01 3:24]

I do like the colours of these beetles. Very bright reds that shine out strongly against the black.
Well caught Ram,
Janice

Pretty bug, well done Ram!

Ciao Ram, splendid beetle with fantastic colors, I like original over exposed BG too, very well done, ciao Silvio

Hi Ram

I'm afraid I must concur with the other, the flower and background are OE, but I guess you know that by now.

The beetle is stunning though with good sharpness and DOF.

Chris

Hola Ram,
Preciosa imagen, aunque la luz es un poco fuerte, el escarabajo tien gran definición y nos muestra muy bien los detalles, el color y fondo son muy hermosos, saludos
José Ramón

Great macro shot. Fine detail and nicely composed. I think a little bit overexposed
Best wishes,
Achim

Ciao Ram,
splendida macro, composizione molto creativa con un interessante ricerca di forme e colori, ottima definizione.
Grazie e complimenti.
Maurizio

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2816 W: 75 N: 7976] (26969)
  • [2008-08-01 13:10]

Hello Ram!

Another very interesting and very exotic insect. Colorfull, sharp and well composed with flower. Great note.

Dear Ram Sir,
Looks like "pollen beetle (Dicranolaius)" than the blister; an excellent macro photograph with sharpness. TFS.
Regards-Ranjan

Hello Ram. The beetle is so colorful and very well perched. The luminosity and red and black stripe is very attractive. Thanks for sharing and best regards. Jusni

Excellent presentation,beautiful multicolours pic,very good details,BRAVO Ram.

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