PEST PROFILES: BEETLES

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Blister beetles Description: Blister beetles vary by species in shape, size (3/8 to 1 inch long) and color (solid gray to black or with paler wing margins, metallic, yellowish striped or spotted). Most are long, cylindrical narrow-bodied beetles, which have heads that are wider than the first thoracic segment. The wing covers are usually soft and pliable. Damage: Bodies secrete a toxin that can cause intense local pain followed by the formation of blisters on the skin. Life cycle: Overwinters in later larval stages and pupation occurs in the spring. The pupal stage lasts about 2 weeks and adults appear in early summer. Female beetles oviposit clusters of eggs in the soil. The first stage larva is tiny, active, long-legged and seeks the appropriate host. The larva develops through a number of stages. The first larval stage develops within about month, but the second through fifth instars take about 230 days before molting into the sixth larval stage in the spring. Adults normally occur in loose groups or swarms that feed on leaves of certain plants, especially legumes.