Subject: Metalic Green Beetle
Geographic location of the bug: North Central Colorado Foothills
Date: 07/19/2018
Time: 08:40 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Dear Bugman,
This awesome little beetle ended up flying into my face while I was our for a hike at one of our foothills parks. I have never seen anything like this little guy before. I am hoping you can shed some light for me.
How you want your letter signed: With a pen… or pencil… it’s all good.
Thanks to this BugGuide image, we are confident that this is Nuttail’s Blister Beetle, Lytta nuttalli, a species with much color variation. According to BugGuide: “Adults feed on legumes.” You were lucky when you encountered this Nuttail’s Blister Beetle because physical contact with Blister Beetles should be avoided as they can secrete cantharidin, a compound known to cause blistering in human skin.