546 
Cantharis  Vesicatoria. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\  November,  1898. 
line  into  two  lateral  lobes.  Mandibles  stout,  and  partly  concealed 
beneath  the  labrum.  Clypens  distinct.  Antennae  filiform,  composed 
of  conical  joints;  three  basal  joints,  green  or  bluish  green,  the 
remainder  of  a  black  color.  Eyes  comparatively  small  and  com- 
pound, placed  on  the  anterior  portion  of  the  lateral  lobes  and  to  the 
side.  Ocelli  absent  Thorax :  the  dorsal  surface  of  the  prothorax 
is  quadrilateral,  tapering  from  above  to  the  sternum,  having  the 
appearance  of  a  wedge  placed  between  the  head  and  mesothorax. 
Scutellum  very  small,  Legs  with  five  tarsal  joints.  Elytra  covering 
the  abdomen,  and  extending  a  short  distance  over  the  pleural  sur- 
face. The  Spanish  blistering  bettle,  though  the  only  one  official,  is  by 
no  means  the  only  one  possessing  vesicating  properties.  It  is  found 
in  the  southern  and  central  portions  of  Europe.    In  its  native  state 
Fig.  i. — Cantharis  Vesicatoria. 
it  chiefly  feeds  upon  the  leaves  of  the  plants  belonging  to  the 
Oleaceae  and  Caprifoliaceae,  but  as  a  larva  it  is  parasitical.  The 
female  insect  deposits  its  eggs  during  June,  and  the  larvae,  when 
hatched,  attach  themselves  to  bees  or  other  Hymenopterous  insects. 
The  insects  are  gathered  during  the  early  morning  and  late  in  the 
evening,  when  they  are  less  active  from  the  cold.  The  persons  who 
gather  them  protect  their  hands  with  gloves  and  usually  wear 
masks.  The  trees  or  shrubs  are  shaken,  and  the  insects  fall  into 
sheets  spread  on  the  ground.  They  are  killed  by  exposure  to  the 
fumes  of  vinegar  or  by  turpentine,  dried  by  artificial  heat  and 
packed  in  paper-lined  boxes. 
The  beetles  may  be  kept  for  any  length  of  time  in  air-tight  bottles 
without  losing  their  vesicating  property,  but  on  exposure  to  moist 
