Indian Blister Beetle vs Large Garden Bumble Bee
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Indian Blister Beetle | Large Garden Bumble Bee |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Mylabris pustulata | Bombus ruderatus |
| Order | Coleoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Meloidae | Apidae |
| Size | 15-25 mm | 14-24 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Farmland |
| Diet | Pollen Feeders | Nectar Feeders |
| Regions | South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh) | Europe, New Zealand, South America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Indian Blister Beetle
A striking beetle with black elytra marked with bright red or orange bands and spots. It produces cantharidin, a powerful blistering agent, and feeds on flowers in agricultural fields during monsoon season.
Did You Know?
Despite being a flower pest, blister beetle larvae are beneficial because they consume enormous quantities of grasshopper egg pods in the soil.
Large Garden Bumble Bee
A long-tongued bumble bee introduced to New Zealand in the early 1900s to pollinate red clover. They have one of the longest tongues of any bumble bee species.
Did You Know?
They were intentionally shipped from England to New Zealand because they were the only bees with tongues long enough to pollinate red clover.