Bug identity please?

[Kassaundra]

These are all over a pasture weed I think is some form of pigweed, I would like to know if they are a bad guy or not.

I don't know if the grey one is freshly molted and that is the reason for the color diff or not, but only a few were the grey and they are obviously the same bug.

also is this a lady bug or at least a (good guy)

 

[digitS']

blister beetle

wikipedia

digitS'

 

[Wisher1000]

Bingo! Good call, DigitS'.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I consider them a bad guy. I've had them show up in great numbers on chard, kale, and potatoes, just to name a few. It does not take them long to strip them of most leaves.

I think Hoodat said they emit some smell or something that attracts any others in the area when they find something good to eat, so they can go from not much to a whole lot real quick. I think he is on to something because mine went from just a couple showing up to a full infestation in a couple of days.

 

[Kassaundra]

Thanks, any good ideas for elimination w/o "icides"?

 

[digitS']

Without the "soft-bodies" - beetles aren't easy to kill with something like soap. You may be able to torch the weeds you found them on. That's an appropriate use for a trap crop.

Blister beetles are bad news in livestock feed. They can be baled with hay. They are killed but the toxins from their bodies burn the mouths of animals eating the feed.

Steve

 

[Ridgerunner]

I consider pesticides an appropriate use for a trap crop. I'm not going to be eating it, so as long as the wind is not blowing toward my veggies,.......

 

[hoodat]

Blister beetles are one of the worst of the bad guys. If they find your tomatos or peppers they can strip them in a matter of a few days. As soon as they find a good food source they put out a pheremone that is carried by the wind and will call in their fellows from miles around. They are at their worst during hot dry weather.

 

[Kassaundra]

Oh My!!!! I see why people like "icides" I went ahead and bit the bullet and sprayed seven, since it was just weeds and not my garden. I sprayed every weed and bug in the patch, then went back in the house to "reload" my sprayer and go on a hunt and see if there were any more around (which there were not) and when I came back out (about 15 min later) they were ALL DEAD!!! How's that for instant gratification!

 

[riverman]

I have found so far in my adventures that everything is tied into everything. The ecosystems we create or take advantage of work in a couple circle if we can see it or not. There is a reason why the Blister Beetles are out there, though its hard to see why sometimes, going around and killing something after it is viewed as a "possible future threat" is not a good method of tending to the earth. (Especially with 'icides') There is a negative trickle effect down on your local environment when you use most of those 'icides'.

Just because it works and someone has told you its safe... doesn't make it humane or intelligent in the least way.

just my thought.