TOXIC SEX: WHEN POISON BECOMES A GIFT

Blister beetles, as their name suggests, are beetles of the Meloidae family known for causing blisters upon contact with human skin. Toxicity in these coleopterans is due to the presence of a defensive chemical compound in their hemolymph called cantharidin, which is known to be toxic to mammals, birds, and frogs. Cantharidin has fascinated scientists and human societies alike for centuries and has a long history in both scientific and popular literature.

Female blister beetles contain less cantharidin than males. They are unable to synthesize it themselves, but the way that they acquire it is fascinating: they…