The Meloidae include 120 genera with 3,000-7,500 species. They are distributed worldwide. These beetles have long, leathery bodies; many species are aposematically coloured, but all produce a blistering defensive compound, cantharidin. Adults feed on leaves, flowers, nectar and pollen, particularly of Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae. The larvae are parasites in nests of ground nesting bees, where they feed on pollen stores and the host larvae; other species feed on grasshopper eggs.

		Cissites maculata
		Lytta sayi Say’s Blister Beetle
		Meloe cicatricosus Scarred Blister Beetle
		Nemognatha lutea
		Pyrota insulata Yellow-crescent Blister Beetle
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