The Spanish fly is an emerald-green beetle Lytta vesicatoria, (from Greek lytta = rage and Latin vesica = blister) in the family Meloidae. It is still sometimes referred to as Cantharis vesicatoria, but the genus Cantharis is in an unrelated family, Cantharidae. It is 15 mm to 22 mm long and 5 mm to 8 mm wide, and lives on plants in the families Caprifoliaceae and Oleaceae. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Subregnum Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - Trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - Spiders, Scorpions, etc. ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ... Suborders Adephaga Archostemata Myxophaga Polyphaga See subgroups of the order Coleoptera Beetles are one of the main groups of insects. ... Genera See text. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is a standard convention used for naming species. ... A painting of Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as Carl von Linné   listen?, and who wrote under the Latinized name Carolus Linnaeus (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of taxonomy. ... Suborders Adephaga Archostemata Myxophaga Polyphaga See subgroups of the order Coleoptera Beetles are one of the main groups of insects. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Genera See text. ... Genera Chauliognathus Silis Cantharis Podabrus Malthodes and more The soldier beetles, or Cantharidae are relatively soft-bodied, straight sided beetles, closely related to the Lampyridae or firefly family. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... Genera see text The honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) is a rather small family consisting of about 450 dicotyledon flowering plants, mostly small trees and shrubs (seldom herbs), including some ornamental garden plants in temperate regions. ... Genera Abeliophyllum - Chionanthus - fringetree Fontanesia - Forestieria - swamp-privet Forsythia - forsythia Fraxinus - ash Jasminum - jasmine Ligustrum - privet Notelaea - Olea - olive Osmanthus - devilwood Phillyrea - mock-privet Picconia - Schrebera - Syringa - lilac Oleaceae, the olive family, is a plant family containing 24 genera of woody plants, including shrubs, trees and vines. ...

Medical use

The beetle contains up to 5% cantharidin. The powder made from dried and crushed beetle has been used as an aphrodisiac, under the mistaken impression that the urinary irritation created was sexual arousal. Its medical use dates back to descriptions from Hippocrates. Cantharidin is a poisonous chemical compound found in the Spanish fly. ... An aphrodisiac is an agent which causes the arousal of sexual desire. ... Hippocrates: a conventionalized image in a Roman portrait bust (19th century engraving) Hippocrates of Cos (c. ...

A similar powder from Myalabris beetles (also in the Meloidae), called "vuka-vuka" (vuka = wake up), is known in Zimbabwe. Genera See text. ...