Meloe americanus is a type of blister beetle (Meloidae) found in North America.

[3] The first instar larvae are uniquely active and mobile, utilizing phoresy and parasitism to feed and mature through their developmental stages.

The presence of M. americanus in the south can be explained by the mild winters and the seasonal activity of flowering forbs that attract Apoidea.

Usually, species of Meloe display a correlation between their pattern of geographic distribution and their seasonal activity as adults.

M. americanus adults become active during the late autumn to early winter months, which explains why they can be found in places with milder climates.

[2] These beetles can be found in lowland terrains, including farms, woodlands, and open grassy areas.

Their habitat is influenced by their food preferences, so they will be found in areas where certain plants and insects are prevalent.

[4] Many of their favorite plants to feed on grow abundantly in the bottom of wooded ravines, so they are often encountered there.

Most of the plants that the adult beetles eat are relatively small, meaning that they feed at or near ground level, which makes them vulnerable to predators.

She does this by loosening the soil with her mandibles then digging with her legs until a hole that is slightly longer than her own body's length in depth is made.

The time it takes to complete this excavation process is not known for M. americanus, but in other species, it can range from forty minutes to two hours.

[5] Adult M. americanus beetles emerge from the soil between the winter and spring, with peak months being in December and April.

[4] M. americanus triungulin larvae have a phoretic relationship with wild bees and parasitize their larval cells.

Bees and flies were discovered to have numerous larvae attached to the hairs on their hind legs.

[4] This is because these areas are the least accessible to the host, ensuring that the larvae won't be removed before reaching the nest.

[2] Upon leaving their egg cavity, triungulin larvae will climb onto flowers and crawl around the petals continuously until they can attach to a host.

It is hypothesized that the constant movement of a larva would increase the probability of encountering a visiting insect.

From this point until it emerges as an adult, the larva is a parasite, living, feeding, and maturing inside the host cell.

Display is when the male actively stimulates the female by rubbing her abdomen or grasping and tapping her antennae.

When male beetles had their antennae removed by cutting them with scissors at the base, no attempts at copulation were made.

Even removing both middle legs on the male did not interfere with mating, although, the duration of the dorsal stage lasted longer due to mechanical difficulties with climbing and grasping the female.

Antennal grasping is believed to be the most successful behavior to initiate copulation because it most commonly precedes genital insertion.

A female can indicate her willingness to mate by elevating the apex of her abdomen and separating the eighth tergal and sternal plates, such as to facilitate entry into the vagina.

[1] There are a few minutes of inactivity once the pair is in the linear stage, but then the female will proceed with normal activity, forcing the male to walk backwards.

In some cases, both females and males find new mates only after a short amount of time since the termination of the previous copulation.

[4] When blister beetles feel threatened or are disturbed, they secrete a dark orange fluid from their leg joints containing the chemical cantharidin.

There are cuticular pores located on male antennae, which provide evidence of a chemical secretion that influences courtship behavior.