Detailed information on Ashgray Blister Beetle (Epicauta fabricii)

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greydog

Kansas City, KS | July 2020 | Neutral

Does anyone know of any natural predators against the Ashgray Blister Beetle pest? I\'ve been picking them off and killing them by hand.

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OzarkLdy

| August 2018 | Negative

Voraciously devours plants it chooses. Starting out decimating pigweed (i garden organic) so I left them for them. Worked for awhile. They moved on to radishes next. Didn't really care there as I just plant them mostly for the fun of em always growing. Looks like I better get a good look at my tomatoes tomorrow. Hoped they'd stay on the radishes and leave my kale alone...so far so good. Guess I'll try a garlic spray to start. Never saw them before this year. Clearly they're massively invasive. Don't have time to hand pick bugs off a 50' x 100' garden I can barely keep up with as is. Good luck...anybody sees them, be merciless.

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prairiefuser

Oacoma, SD | May 2018 | Negative

Last year they decimated my false indigo. Not even June and they are already here. We put diatomaceous earth on the plants, but it doesn't seem to help. We'll be hand picking. Ick! Please add Oacoma, SD to locations they can be found.

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justinoffutt

Marshfield, MO | July 2017 | Negative

I'm a fairly new gardener, but have been outdoors my whole life. This is the first time I've ever seen this large gray bug. Nasty thing has almost decimated my Amaranth (Love-Lies-bleeding) - at least the leaves. I then began seeing it tearing into my cherry tomatoes and then my larger tomatoes. I'm picking and killing every one I can, I've tried organic spray mixes but it really just seems to cause them to move to a different plant in my garden!

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Deekerdee

Medicine Lodge, KS | July 2013 | Negative

I've been picking these bugs off my tomato plants for the past several weeks. The first time, the weather had been hot, dry, and windy for some time. Today it is rainy and cool, but they're back again. I check every few days. I've never seen these on tomatoes before. Also, some of them are almost golden, others are gray. Biggest so far was 1.25"

Best tip for hand picking: hold a bowl below each insect as you pick it off. They have a habit of dropping off to another leaf, and it's easy to catch them in the bowl. I'm a bit squeamish and bring scissors to kill them, but I have pinched a number of them between my fingers with no ill effects besides the ick factor. *

As stated by others, this is a very destructive bug.

*Addendum: curious as to why th... read more

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Peachykeen

Seward, NE | July 2008 | Negative

These bugs ate my potato, tomato, swiss chard and cucumber plants. It leaves its droppings (dark brown) in its wake. Very destructive. It appeared in the garden in mid-July in wet/humid conditions.

Ashgray Blister Beetle

Epicautafabricii

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