beetle ID

JRinPA · June 27, 2017

I found this guy on one of my plants a couple days back - probably an eggplant but maybe a pepper. Doesn't look like the cucumber beetles I've seen - any ideas?
1/4" long slow mover, climber, reluctant or unable to fly

KarenO · June 27, 2017

that bugger is a potato beetle. where there's one there's more. look for clusters of orange eggs on undersides of leaves. pick and squish relentlessly.
the larvae will feed voraciously on any solanacea plant including potato, tomato, eggplant etc although they seem to prefer potato best of all
KarenO

My Foot Smells · June 27, 2017

concur. had a case one year, they were destructive. I was like you, went from WTH to OMG in about 3 days.

mjc · June 27, 2017

To quote my favorite salt shakers...

'Exterminate! Exterminate!'

JRinPA · June 28, 2017

I have seen both colo potato beetle and false colo beetle here...but they are about 1/2", not 1/4". They also have many more stripes. For example, this page http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/IPM/engl...adobeetle.html
I like this part-
Often Confused With
This is an insect that is never confused with any other pest.

This little guy is about the size of a striped cucumber beetle, but not a fast crawler and quick flier like cuke beetle.

A couple weeks ago I caught a couple false colo beetles in my home garden and killed their eggs, and saw one regular colo beetle at another garden this year. This guy does not resemble them or any pics of them I have ever seen.

KarenO · June 28, 2017

three lined potato beetle. same damage.
same treatment. pick and squish and look for more.
KarenO

KarenO · June 28, 2017

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&...98723315702908

brownrexx · June 28, 2017

It does not look like the 3 lined potato beetle to me. It has no "neck".

JRinPA · June 28, 2017

That three lined potato beetle is put together like a cucumber beetle.

The beetle I found has a different thorax. I can't seem to find a pic that matches using google search. I have never paid great attention to bugs over the years, but I when I saw this guy it was one I didn't recognize. The color said "foe". I'll have to see if I can find more. Japanese beetles just started showing up a couple days back so I'll be looking every few days.

JRinPA · June 28, 2017

Found it, three striped lady beetle. The thorax looks like a ladybug and it acts like a ladybug so on the umpteenth search of google I found a grainy pic. Striped Ladybird Beetle was the magic search term.

http://wiki.eanswers.com/en/Coccinellidae

Of course, now I am trying to find a source other than a wiki because I am seeing the same grayish pic a whole lot of places and some stating this bug is from India. lol

I am not seeing antennae in the pics either so....I don't know. This one died in the cup left outside, so I can't tempt it with aphids or eggplant leaf anymore.

gorbelly · June 29, 2017

Definitely not a lady beetle.

I think it's one of the Disonchya, i.e., striped flea beetle? Right size and shape, though I don't see the exact coloration of the specimen you found in the available photos here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/4520

They are a pest.

Durgan · June 29, 2017

http://durgan.org/2016/June%202016/7...mlineata/HTML/ 7 June 2016 Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)
The Colorado Potato Beetle surfaced in my garden today. Three adults were found and numerous larvae and eggs. Control is by picking and destroying all, usually several times a day. A large infestation requires the application of chemicals. The beetle cannot be ignored, since they multiply rapidly and can destroy a potato crop in a few days. The bug is ubiquitous and few gardens are without them in Canada.

June 27, 2017	#1
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 972	beetle ID I found this guy on one of my plants a couple days back - probably an eggplant but maybe a pepper. Doesn't look like the cucumber beetles I've seen - any ideas? 1/4" long slow mover, climber, reluctant or unable to fly

June 27, 2017	#2
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	that bugger is a potato beetle. where there's one there's more. look for clusters of orange eggs on undersides of leaves. pick and squish relentlessly. the larvae will feed voraciously on any solanacea plant including potato, tomato, eggplant etc although they seem to prefer potato best of all KarenO Last edited by KarenO; June 28, 2017 at 04:59 AM.

June 28, 2017	#10
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 972	Found it, three striped lady beetle. The thorax looks like a ladybug and it acts like a ladybug so on the umpteenth search of google I found a grainy pic. Striped Ladybird Beetle was the magic search term. http://wiki.eanswers.com/en/Coccinellidae Of course, now I am trying to find a source other than a wiki because I am seeing the same grayish pic a whole lot of places and some stating this bug is from India. lol I am not seeing antennae in the pics either so....I don't know. This one died in the cup left outside, so I can't tempt it with aphids or eggplant leaf anymore. Last edited by JRinPA; June 28, 2017 at 12:25 PM.

June 27, 2017	#3
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	concur. had a case one year, they were destructive. I was like you, went from WTH to OMG in about 3 days.

June 27, 2017	#4
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	To quote my favorite salt shakers... 'Exterminate! Exterminate!'

June 28, 2017	#8
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	It does not look like the 3 lined potato beetle to me. It has no "neck".

June 29, 2017	#11
gorbelly Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Posts: 1,069	Definitely not a lady beetle. I think it's one of the Disonchya, i.e., striped flea beetle? Right size and shape, though I don't see the exact coloration of the specimen you found in the available photos here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/4520 They are a pest.

June 29, 2017	#12
Durgan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Brantford, ON, Canada Posts: 1,341	http://durgan.org/2016/June%202016/7...mlineata/HTML/ 7 June 2016 Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) The Colorado Potato Beetle surfaced in my garden today. Three adults were found and numerous larvae and eggs. Control is by picking and destroying all, usually several times a day. A large infestation requires the application of chemicals. The beetle cannot be ignored, since they multiply rapidly and can destroy a potato crop in a few days. The bug is ubiquitous and few gardens are without them in Canada.