Beetle ID needed!

[yeatzee]

ID!? by yeatzee (now 17, but still learning), on Flickr

Sorry for the phone camera shots! My friend found me this awesome beetle and I haven't a clue what it is. I need to know what it is and what is eats so i can keep it alive. Im about to leave for 2 weeks to utah and im leaving all of my bugs behind.

 

[DeadInTheBasement]

its in the genus Tegrodera. i think the common name is iron cross blister beetle?

VERY nice

 

[yeatzee]

its in the genus Tegrodera. i think the common name is iron cross blister beetle?

VERY nice

Thank you!!!!

 

[[email protected]]

AWESOME beetle!

 

[Rick]

In the future this may help if you can't find anyone who knows: www.bugguide.net Awesome site!

 

[PhilinYuma]

Yeah, definitely Tegrodera aloga, the iron cross blister beetle.Sometimes you can find hundreds of these in a small area on plants ranging from brittle bush to alfalfa at this time of year. They are blister beetles, though, and their protective emission contains cantharidine (read about Spanish fly?)so be careful how you handle yours.