Cincta Blister Beetle Mylabris cincta

The bright red and black colours of the Mylabris cincta blister beetle show potential predators that it is toxic - it secretes an irritant like all blister beetles as a defence. These photos were taken by Alexandra Makhnina in Kazakhstan. M. cincta is known to be native to the Caucasus (Armenia/Georgia) and is probably present in Central Asia.

Mylabris cincta looks similar to several other Mylabris and Hycleus blister beetles. M. tricincta is 14mm long and has the same regular black and red bands but is native to Northwest Africa; M. ciliciensis/variabilis have more uneven, jagged-edged and "wiggly" bands (M. variabilis is present from southern Europe through to Siberia, including Central Asia); the Chequered Beetle Trichodes apiarius is much smaller and has a somewhat different shape of its bands and body.

For interest, one of Alexandra's photos of the Cincta beetle at this location shows it beside the "arm" of a massive ground beetle. The arm, like those on smaller female Stag Beetles, is serrated to aid digging. The giant beetle has been predated, probably by a bird.