in zoology, a genus of insects of the order of coleoptera. The antennae are jointed, the last joint being oval; the breast is rounded; the elytra are soft and flexible; and the head is inflated and gibbous. There are 16 species, principally distinguished by their colour. The vesicatorius, or cantharis of the shops, when bruised, is universally used as a blistering plaster.