Hycleus

{{Short description|Genus of beetles}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Mylabris_pustulata_(Thunberg,_1821)_(6089241861).jpg

| image_caption = Hycleus species in the phaleratus group

| taxon = Hycleus

| authority = Latreille, 1817

| synonyms =

  • Coryna Billberg, 1813
  • Decatoma Dejean, 1821
  • Dices Dejean, 1821
  • Arithmema Chevrolat, 1844
  • Decapotoma Voigts, 1902
  • Euzonabris Kuzin, 1954
  • Sphenabris Kuzin, 1954
  • Tigrabris Kuzin, 1954
  • Gorrizia Pardo Alcaide, 1954
  • Androfoveata Pardo Alcaide, 1954
  • Mesogorbata Pardo Alcaide, 1954
  • Mesoscutata Pardo Alcaide, 1954
  • Mesotaeniata Pardo Alcaide, 1955

}}

Hycleus is a genus of blister beetle belonging to the Meloidae family found in Africa and Asia. The genus contains over 400 species, which historically have been confused with the genus Mylabris.{{cite journal|doi=10.3897/zookeys.463.8261|title=A new Eastern Asian Hycleus and key to the Chinese species of the phaleratus group (Coleoptera, Meloidae, Mylabrini)|journal=ZooKeys|pages=11–19|year=2014|last1=Bologna|first1=Marco A.|last2=Pan|first2=Zhao|last3=Monica|first3=Carosi|issue=463|pmc=4294299|pmid=25589860 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2014ZooK..463...11P }}

Ecology

Adults feed mainly on flowers from a wide range of plant families. The first larval instar is an active triungulin form that is a predator of soft insects such as aphids. While the young are often beneficial to crops by suppressing other plant feeders, the adults can be a problem when present in large numbers. Flower feeding leads to lower yield and this can be a problem in some leguminous crops. They are however easily controlled by manual collection.

In northern Nigeria, heavy infestations of Hycleus terminatus, Hycleus fimbriatus, Hycleus hermanniae, and Hycleus chevrolati have affected early plantings of pearl millet crops.Lale, N. E. S., and B. M. Sastawa. 2000. Evaluation of host plant resistance, sowing date modification and intercropping as methods for the control of Mylabris and Coryna species (Coleoptera: Meloidae) infesting pearl millet in the Nigerian Sudan savanna. J. Arid Environ. 46: 263–280.

Gallery

File:Mylabris pustulata.JPG|Seen in Karnataka

File:Orange_Blister_Beetle_(Mylabris_pustulata)_on_Ipomoea_carnea_W2_IMG_0597.jpg|

File:Orange BlisterBeetle Ransai Maharashtra.jpg|Orange Blister Beetle, Ransai, Maharashtra

Partial list of species

References

{{Reflist}}