Beetles doing the deed
I found several of these beetles chewing on leaves of the Wood Anemone flower/plant. They are about 1 1/2″ – 2 ” long. The location is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, close to the S. shore of Lake Superior. In the one photo, there is another smaller beetle attached to the one eating. I guess these crafty critters are pretty advanced as they can do at least two things at one time! Wish the photo had captured it better but I had to give them a little privacy. So, can you help me identify them? Thanks
Ann
Hi Ann,
Your beetles are a species of Blister Beetle, in the genus Meloe, commonly called Oil Beetles. This seems to be a common habit among Blister Beetles, eating and procreating simultaneously.
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Posted 06 June 2008
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Tagged: bug love
What is this bug?
This photo was taken on the hood of my truck. It is approximately 1 inch long from the front of its head to the end of its body. I saw this in Southern California on May 30, 2008 at 3:45pm. What is it?
Randy
Hi Randy,
This is a Master Blister Beetle, Lytta magister. Adults are active in the spring in the Mojave and Colorado deserts.
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Posted 03 June 2008
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unidentified cool bug from johua national park
Hi
I think it’s some kind of beetle but am not sure. I know I’ve never seen any like it. Anyway I’ll share naming rights with you if it’s never been seen before.
Henry Hagemeyer
Hi Henry,
We believe the location of your photo is Joshua Tree National Park, and this is the second image of a Master Blister Beetle we received today.
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Posted 03 June 2008
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I have found a yellow and black beetle in the desert
This is the only picture that i have of it.. the rest were all way to blurry as i was following it around with my camera trying to get a perfect shot..It is the first time I have ever seen anything like that.. I found it in the desert in 29 palms, ca. Oddly enough though after a few hours i spotted another one on the other side of the fence. it is a very pretty beetle.. and its very fast. Can you help me at all with identifing it?
Terra
he he he i have finally found it i looked for it through almost all the beetle pages… thanks tho!! maybe you can still feature the picture cause the clarity on it is amazing. how much detail my camera caught.. :] thanks
Hi Terra,
We are happy you located your Desert Spider Beetle, Cysteodemus armatus, also known as the Inflated Beetle, on our site without our help.
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Posted 17 May 2008
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iron cross blister beetles — mating on cactus
Hi:
Thanks for helping me identify my bug — your site is great. I thought you might enjoy the picture of two iron-cross blister beetles ( Tegrodera latecincta ) mating on a cactus — it all looks a bit precarious! The cactus is a local “hedgehog cactus” ( Echinocereus sp. ). My yard was invaded by these bugs over the past couple of days; I’ve lived here 6 years and never seen them before. Best,
Jake
NW Tucson, AZ
Mid May 2008
Hi Jake,
Your photo of Iron Cross Blister Beetles mating is quite stunning.
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Posted 11 May 2008
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Tagged: bug love
Odd insect in Saguaro Park
Dear WTB,
I took this in Saguaro National Park today, thought the pattern on the wings was unusual…any ideas?
cd krall
Hi CD,
You have taken a most awesome photo of a most awesome insect, the Iron Cross Blister Beetle in the genus Tegrodera. Your photo has the aesthetic of a safari photo of a large animal. There are several possible species, including Tegrodera aloga which is not represented on BugGuide.
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Posted 29 April 2008
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Black insect with red stripes
Hi, Just found the name of this bug: Meloe majalis. You can find some detailed information (if you’re interested) here: http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~legneref/taxonomy/meloidae.htm
Michelle
(04/28/2008) Hi again,
I just found on the web some pictures of similar bugs. It seems to be a Megetra. However I did not find one looking exactly like this and could not find any reference to european Megetras.
(04/27/2008) Black insect with red stripes
Hi,
I live in Portugal and found this “little” guy wandering around. I had never seen such an insect. Can you help me identify it? It is about 5cm long, runs quite fast and its body is flexible. Thanks.
Michelle
Ed. Note: As with many of our submissions, we had an offline dialog with Michelle regarding her Blister Beetle. Eventually she provided a more exact identification and we are posting her submission.
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Posted 29 April 2008
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What’s that bug?
My husband found this bug recently in Needles, NV. Any idea? We think it’s cool! We love bugs! Thanks,
Michele
Hi Michele,
Your strikingly beautiful beetle is a Master Blister Beetle, Lytta magister.
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Posted 22 April 2008
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What is it?
I met with this and many others like it on my patio. Should I run?
Dave K
Hi Dave,
Put on the brakes. There is no need to run from the Iron Cross Blister Beetle, Tegrodera latecincta, as it will not attack you. It is, however, not perfectly harmless. Blister Beetles are capable of exuding an irritating chemical from their let joints that can cause blisters, hence the common name.
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Posted 20 April 2008
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Tagged: bug love
Yellow and black bug
This was taken in the Mojave desert in SE CA (San Bernardino County) It was a fast moving bug about the size of a dime. I saw a similar bug in the desert of San Diego County but the insect was white in the place that this one is yellow. Both were crawling on the ground.
Hi Nancy,
This is a Desert Spider Beetle, a Blister Beetle in the genus Cysteodemus.
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Posted 10 April 2008
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Hi,
Many thanks for your help with the identifying of our seed bugs but once more I am seeking your help. As ‘trainee crop growers, we live in Southern Spain and found this wandering along the ground nibbling at most things green. Can you identify it for us please. Best regards
Maggie
Hi
Just want to say that I am sorry and should have checked ALL of your site before asking the question.
I now know that it is a spanish blister beetle, but does it do any harm to plants or humans?
Maggie
Hi Maggie,
We are happy to hear you identified your Spanish Blister Beetle using our site without our assistance, since we are starting to get more and more letters again as summer approaches. Adult Blister Beetles eat plants, and can get very numerous at times. They can do significant damage. Larval Blister Beetles often feed on Grasshopper Eggs, which is beneficial to farmers. We feel the Blister Beetles are important contributors to the balance of nature. Many Blister Beetles exude an irritating chemical compound that will cause blisters in humans. We have never taken the time to correctly identify this Spanish species, but it looks nearly identical to the genus Megetra found in North America.
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Posted 05 April 2008
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Beetle ID
Hello~
I was hiking with friends in the desert the other day in Baja and we came across these beetles on a margarite bush (incensio in Spanish). They had black wings. Underneath, they were red-orange with black dots. Very pretty. Thank You!
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
Your beetle is Lytta magister, the Master Blister Beetle. According to BugGuide: “Pressing or rubbing adult blister beetles may cause them to exude some of their hemolymph (”blood”), which contains Cantharidin. Cantharidin causes blistering of the skin, thus the name blister beetle.”
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Posted 23 February 2008
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