PRAIRIE POLLINATORS | BLISTER BEETLES
About Blister Beetles:
Since the early Mesozoic (about 200 million years ago), beetles were one of the first pollinators of early flowering plants before bees came into existence. Blister beetles are so named because they secrete a poisonous chemical as a defense mechanism that causes our skin to blister, and is used medically to remove warts.
Pollination by beetles is much different compared to typical pollinators. Beetles are known as ‘mess and soil pollinators’, meaning that they feed and defecate on flower petals, leaves, and other plant parts. When a beetle travels from one plant to the next, pollen accumulates on or within the beetle and is redistributed to the new plant to begin fertilization.
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