Species Epicauta immaculata

Immaculate Meloid

Epicauta immaculata (Say)

Orig. Comb: Lytta immaculata Say 1824

Syn: Macrobasis immaculata (Say)

13-25 mm (1)

Dets. John D. Pinto

western edge of the Appalachian Mountains westward to South Dakota and the Rio Grande River (NM-TX-OH-SD) - Map (2)(1), common from KS to the Rio Grande

adults found most frequently and in greatest abundance along roadsides, near ditches, in swales, and in other situations where the amount of soil moisture is sufficient to support the growth of herbaceous plants through the summer season. (2)

May-Aug (1)(BG data)

adults are polyphagous feeding on Solanum spp., milkweed (Asclepias spp.), Asteraceae, Fabaceae as well as members of other plant families. (2)(1)

E. immaculata are known to form nonfeeding aggregations on plants, including species that are apparently never utilized as food sources. The functional significance of this behavior has not been determined, but it seems likely that temperature regulation is involved. (2)

Larson (1943) reports finding the remains of 94 individuals of E. immaculata in the course of examining the stomach contents of 100 individuals of the toad Bufo americanus Holbrook, taken in potato fields at Fort Thompson, South Dakota. (2)

In Miller's (1965) study adults of E. albida, E. immaculata, E. sublineata, and several other species of Meloidae proved to be highly acceptable as food items for caged adults of the horned lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum Harlan. It was also shown that whiptailed lizards, Cnemidophorus sackii gularis Baird and Girard, would pursue and investigate adult meloids, although they were consistently refused as food, apparently because of chemotactic repellency. (2)

Gilbertson, G.I. and W.R. Horsfall. 1940. Blister beetles and their control. South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 340: 1-23.

Larson, N.P. 1943. The common toad as an enemy of blister beetles. Journal of Economic Entomology 36: 480.

Miller, J.L. 1965. Prey-predator interactions between insects (chiefly meloid beetles) and lizards of the genera Phrynosoma, Uta and Cnemidophorus. Unpublished thesis, Department of Entomology, University of Illinois.