Autohaemorrhaging

Autohaemorrhaging or reflex bleeding is the action of animals deliberately ejecting haemolymph or blood from their bodies. If the animal has toxic compounds in its blood, then it may be an effective chemical defence mechanism.

Animals that autohaemorrhage include:

• Beetles
  • Blister beetles
  • Meloidae - their haemolymph contains cantharidin that they sequester from plants on which they feed.
  • Timarcha species
  • Chrysomelidae - their haemolymph contains anthraquinones.
  • Ladybirds

• Hymenoptera
  • Sawfly larvae

• Orthoptera
  • Bushhoppers, such as Dictyophorus spumans, Phymateus viridipes and Phymateus leprosus - their haemolymph contains cardiac glycosides sequestered from milkweed on which they feed.
  • Katydids including Eugaster species
  • Armoured ground crickets
  • Enyaliopsis nyala

• Plecoptera
  • Stonefly larvae

• Phrynosomatidae lizards
  • Horned lizard

• Snakes
  • Tropidophis, or wood snake, a genus of dwarf boa, which expels blood from the mouth, nostrils and eyes when disturbed.
  • Natrix natrix, or European grass snake, a colubrid, which secretes blood from the mouth and nose while playing dead.

See also

• Haemorrhage
• Autothysis