About Hycleus phaleratus (Pallas, 1781)
Hyeleus phaleratus has an adult body length between approximately 18 mm and 25.1 mm. Its head has moderately coarse, deep, dense punctures, with longer, reniform eyes. The apical segment of its maxillary palpi is triangular. The pronotum narrows strongly from its apical third toward the apex, and bears long, dense pubescence. The elytra have moderately coarse, shallow punctures and short pubescence. The basal region of the elytra holds two yellowish spots, which are rectangular when viewed from both the dorsal and lateral sides. The median and apical yellow bands on the elytra have only slight undulation. The ventrum is moderately coarsely punctate and shiny. The sixth visible abdominal sternum is shallowly emarginate in males, while it has a complete, uninterrupted apex in females. The elytral axillary spot is covered with black setae. The fore margins of the mesepisterna are nearly parallel, running along the median groove. In males, the proximal aedeagal hook lies closer to the distal aedeagal hook. This species is found in China, where it is commercially important for traditional Chinese medicine because it can biosynthesize cantharidin, a potent defensive blistering agent. It has traditionally been used to treat tumors, carbuncle, scrofula, poor blood circulation, pleurisy, dropsy, pericarditis, and missed menstrual periods. Use of crude medicine made from this species can cause side effects including abdominal pain and hemorrhagic shock. Both adults and larvae of Hycleus phaleratus are pests of a wide range of agricultural crops and ornamental plants, including luffa, cowpea, Canna indica, rose, Gossypium hirsutum, green gram, okra, soybean, tobacco, and paddy.
