What is this bug? It devestates plants within days in my wildish garden in Maine. It has attached clematis and anemones and I've seen it in the fields.
AND... probably more important. What can I do about it? An insecticide that works slowly won't do the trick, as it works very fast. If I see it in time, it's easy to squash.
Note - I got this photo from some other web site - don't remember where, but it had a link to mail the pictures, so I guess this is OK.
TIA
LAS
I can't help you here but WOW what a wonderful picture!
You might try the Insect & Spider ID forum since nobody here seems to recognize it, he's disinctive enough I'm sure one of the bug experts will recognize him!
Thanks. I hadn't realized that there is a separate identification forum. But it so happens that I have found out that this is a melor or blister beetle. Now it remains to figure out what to do about it! :-)
If they aren't caught quickly, they're done with the plant before you know it. If seen early, it's easy to squish them. There are only one or two or three around at a time, it seems. But I'd like to know how to prevent their appearnace.
Thanks again.
LAS
I would say that it's impossible to prevent their appearance. They can fly. You can only deal with them when they are present.
Maybe you can invent some kind of a trap, if you can figure out what their favorite food is--put that kind of a plant in a container that they can get into and not out of, or surround one with 'tanglefoot'.
Even if you can't get them all this year-every one you get rid of is one less to leave offspring for next year!
