Striped Blister Beetle - (Epicauta vittata)

When threatened, this blister beetle secrets a yellowish fluid onto its legs. Predators are burned by this substance and blisters form on contact.

Their habitat includes gardens, parks and farm fields. Adults eat potatoes and other garden plants, making them a pest in some circles.

Larvae feed on buried grasshopper eggs and overwinter in the ground. This diet keeps grasshopper populations in check, making them beneficial insects in other circles.

Category: Beetle
Common name: Striped Blister Beetle
Scientific Name: Epicauta   vittata

Adult Size (Length): 9mm to 15mm (0.35in to 0.59in) [ COMPARE ]

Identifying Colors: black; yellow; orange

General Description: stripes

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Quebec; New Brunswick; Nova Scotia; Saskatchewan; Maine; New Hampshire; Vermont; New York; Massachusetts; Rhode Island; Connecticut; New Jersey; Maryland; Virginia; West Virginia; North Carolina; Louisiana; Mississippi; Alabama; Georgia; Kentucky; Tennessee

* Since insects do not obey man-made borders on a map, they may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.