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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Fungus, Bark, Darkling and Blister Beetles (Tenebrionoidea) » Blister Beetles (Meloidae) » Meloinae » Epicauta
Photo#319162
This bug and his friend are eating up my tomato leaves, and are pooping all over the place! - Epicauta
Copyright © 2009 Donna A

This bug and his friend are eating up my tomato leaves, and are pooping all over the place! - Epicauta
South West , Iowa, USA
August 12, 2009
Size: 3/4 " to 1"
This was a real suprise this morning. I planted marigolds and basil to deter the hornworms and got this critter instead!!! I scooped them up into cups, as I don't want to spray anything! Never seen them before.
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Contributed by Donna A on 12 August, 2009 - 11:17am
Last updated 5 November, 2009 - 6:56pm

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… margarethe brummermann, 12 August, 2009 - 12:04pm login or register to post comments

Epicauta sp.
They often occur in these suprise forces. Scooping them up to get rid of them is probably the best idea. They seem to get chemically attracted to these crowds though, so make sure you dispose of them in a way that they can't simply fly back. Do not touch them with bare hands. When stressed, they produce Cantharidine from their joints that causes big blisters on human skin. Keep an eye out for eggs and larvae to avoid the next surprise.
… margarethe brummermann, 12 August, 2009 - 12:01pm login or register to post comments

Some sort of blister beetle.
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See the comments here:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/315890

And welcome to BugGuide!
… apgarm, 12 August, 2009 - 11:30am login or register to post comments

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