Meloetyphlus fuscatus, the blind blister beetle, is a species of blister beetle in the family Meloidae found in Central and South America. They are kleptoparasites of orchid bees and are entirely blind as adults. Unique among meloids, females do not lay their eggs near flowers, but rather within their hosts’ nests.
. . . Meloetyphlus fuscatus . . .
M. fuscatus is a blind, dull, and robust blister beetle. The eyeless head is larger than is typical for blister beetles and provides more attachment area for mandibular muscles (this head shape is only observed once elsewhere in Meloidae, in the tribe Horiini). Length ranges from 12 to 17mm; males are typically larger and have more strongly modified legs than females.[1]
The generic and specific names derive from Meloe + Greek τῠφλός (tuphlós) for blind, and Latin fusco for dusky.[2]
To date, M. fuscatus has been recorded in:
- Honduras: Francisco Morazán[3]
- Costa Rica: Limón,[4]San José[1]
- Colombia: Caldas,[4]Cundinamarca[5]
- Ecuador: Bolívar[6]
- Trinidad[7]
- Peru: Loreto[4][1]
- Brazil: Pernambuco,[1]São Paulo[8][9]
. . . Meloetyphlus fuscatus . . .