Subject: insects near Superstition Mtn. Arizona
Location: Superstition Mountain, AZ
April 13, 2015 5:02 am
I came across these insects on a hiking trail near our house April 12, 2015 , at the base of Superstition Mtn., Arizona. Lots of people hiking were wondering what they were. Their heads and mandibles remind me of an ant and they have 3 pr. of legs. All the insects were feeding on the same flower heads, which had finished flowering and were about to produce seed. I assume they were getting a high energy feed this way.
Signature: sunburntcanuck
Dear sunburntcanuck,
It seems we get at least one submission each spring asking for an identification of Iron Cross Blister Beetles in the genus Tegrodera. According to BugGuide: “Eriastrum [woollystar] is an important food source for all adults.”
