Please don't touch

in blurtnature •  last year 

This pair of mating Black blister Beetles (Meloe barbarus) that I came upon during my morning walk know they have little to fear from predators.
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Touch one of these beetles and they will likely exude an oily substance from their joints known as cantharidin
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that can cause severe blisters on skin and severe illness in grazing animals (such as horses) that eat vegetation that contains the Beetles.
So I just took my photos and left these two to continue on with procreation.
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