Insect eating leaves of potatoes
February 1, 2010
Hi -
I have this infectation of hairy 6 legged bugs eating my potato leaves. At first I thought it was a woolie aphid but they aren’t. The are about 2mm wide and about 5mm long and there are masses of them all over the back of my potato leaves. However this is the only plant in the vegie patch they seem to have taken a liking too. To me they look like a hairy what & black caterpillar but when you rool them over they only have 6 legs. I have sprayed the potato leave with white oil which seems to be killing them but I would really like to know what they are.
Thanks
JLO
Australia, NSW, Ulladulla on the south eastern coast.
28 Spotted Potato Ladybird Larva
Dear JLO,
Most Lady Beetles in the family Coccinellidae are beneficial predators, with both adults and larvae consuming insects that are detrimental to plants, including many crops, but alas, your larvae are 28 Spotted Potato Ladybird Beetles, Epilachna vigintioctopunctata, one of the few plant pests. The Brisbane Insect Website has a wonderful page on this species. You may also find information on the Butterfly House website where it is called the 28 Spot Ladybird.
Red eyed beetle
December 11, 2009
Hi, a friend sent this photo. The beetle was on his car in Florida, near Miami, in December.
Curious
Miami
Metallic Blue Lady Beetle
Dear Curious,
This is a Metallic Blue Lady Beetle, Curinus coeruleus, a species native to the Caribbean that was imported from Mexico into Florida in the 1950s for biological control purposes according to BugGuide. The orange spots are marking on the pronotum, not eyes.
¶ Posted 12 December 2009 § ‡ ° Tiny White Spiky Insect
Hello Bugman,
This afternoon in our backyard I noticed something white on my arm, thinking it was a piece of lint I went to blow it off and then noticed it was crawling.
It was an insect I have not ever seen before. I quickly ran inside and grabbed my camera. I carefully removed him from under my arm hair with the tip of a dulled toothpick; I placed him on our patio furniture and took some images of him, I was using a macro lens with a close up filter and was able to get in close for his size.
It was no more then a quarter inch in length and a eighth of an inch wide, it had soft white spike like spines all over, what was strange is some of them came off when trying to maneuver it into a better position for an image.
Got an idea, if you need more info please feel free to ask.
Thanks
Daryl
Southern California
Mealybug Destroyer Larva
Hi Daryl,
WE are relatively certain your larva is a Mealybug Destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, a beneficial species of Lady Beetle. According to BugGuide, it was: “Imported to the US from Australia in 1891 to control citrus mealybugs in California. Widely used for control of citrus and long-tailed mealybugs, soft scales and related pests. Will not survive cold winters, so it is mostly used in greenhouses or mild-winter areas, or has to be introduced annually.“
Mealybug Destroyer Larva
¶ Posted 22 November 2009 § ‡ ° Not a lady bug
October 28, 2009
We have a bug SWARMING our house in Stillwater NJ. It kind of looks like a lady bug. They get through the smallest openings and there are thousands outside and hundreds getting inside. We have heard that they are everywhere in this area now (late October). Can you tell me what they are and how to keep them out of the house?
KayJayW
Northwest NJ
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle
Dear KayJayW,
These are Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles, Harmonia axyridis, an invasive introduced species that often invades homes in multitudes to escape the cold weather. It is a beneficial species in its own environment in its native Asia, but as an introduced species, it has many problematic characteristics. If it was possible to overlook the home invasion, the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles are considered largely responsible for the decline in numbers of native species of Lady Beetles, so they invasive species has a negative impact on the environment because of the loss of native diversity. You should be able to find plenty of information on this species online now that you know its name. Try the Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet among others.
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles
3
what is this
August 8, 2009
western canada- looks like a type of ladybug
from
British Columbia Canada
Lady Beetle: Myzia subvittata
Dear from,
This is a Lady Beetle, and we believe we have identified it as Myzia subvittata based on images posted to BugGuide, and the location of those sightings as Oregon and Washington.
¶ Posted 08 August 2009 § ‡ ° small bug, with yellow stripes
July 13, 2009
do you know what kind of bug this is, and is it poisonous?
Joyce
northeastern Pennsylvania
Lady Beetle Larva
Hi Joyce,
In recent weeks, we have had countless requests for the identification of Lady Beetle Larvae, the immature form of Ladybugs, but since out computer was so slow, we did not post any, nor could we take the time to respond personally. Our fast new computer is allowing us to address ever so many more identification requests. The larvae of the Lady Beetle is not poisonous. They are predators of plant feeding insects like aphids, and we have gotten reports of people being bitten by larval Lady Beetles, but the bite is just a harmless nip.
¶ Posted 13 July 2009 § ‡ ° Please identify yellow bug with black hairs
Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 1:20 PM
I have looked all over the internet and cannot find a name or description for this bug. I know someone out there knows what it is. This is a small yellow-bodied beetle-like bug with six legs and lots of single straight black hairs all over its back. I found this and several others eating holes in my zucchini leaves. I assume since it is eating holes that it is not a “good” bug to keep around. But I have never seen one of these before. I appreciate any help you can give.
Jessica Moore
Charlotte, NC
Squash Lady Beetle Larva
Hi Jessica,
We were certain you had a beetle larva, but we thought it must be a Leaf Beetle Larva. By searching for squash beetle with a search engine, we quickly identified your Squash Lady Beetle Larva on BugGuide. Most Lady Beetles are beneficial predators, but the Squash Lady Beetle, Epilachna borealis, is one of the few species that feeds on plants. According to BugGuide: “The insect and its spiny larvae eat the leaves of squash, cantaloupe, and other cucurbits. An unusual characteristic of this insect is that it circles the leaf area in which it is going to feed. “
¶ Posted 29 June 2009 § ‡ ° Bug Link Suggestion
Fri, May 29, 2009 at 9:10 PM
Hi WTB,
Your site is an invaluable resource to us here at Everything Ladybug. We hope you will take a look at our site and consider it for your bug links section.
regards,
Kevin and Angie Hale
http://www.everything-ladybug.com/
¶ Posted 31 May 2009 § ‡ ° 
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