Epicauta fabricii

(LeConte, 1853)

ashgray blister beetle

fabricii, commonly known as the ashgray blister beetle, is a North American blister beetle in the Meloidae. feed on foliage of leguminous plants including honeylocust, black locust, alfalfa, sweet clover, wild indigo, soybean, and locoweed. Larvae are predatory, feeding on . The belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis.

Epicauta fabricii - inat 201467583 by {{{name}}}. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Epicauta fabricii: /ˌɛpɪˈkaʊtə fəˈbriː.iː.aɪ/

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Distribution

North America; recorded from Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario in Canada.

Diet

feed on foliage of honeylocusts (Gleditsia triacanthos), black locusts (Robinia pseudoacacia), and legumes including alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Direct observations confirm feeding on sweet clover (Melilotus), wild indigo (Baptisia), soybean (Glycine max), and locoweed (Astragalus or Oxytropis). Larvae feed on .

Life Cycle

Larvae feed on ; specific details of other life stages not documented in available sources.

Ecological Role

Larvae function as of , potentially contributing to grasshopper . are herbivores that may impact leguminous crops and native plants.

Human Relevance

can be pests of agricultural crops, particularly alfalfa and soybean. Like other blister beetles, contains and can be toxic if ingested; can contaminate hay and pose risk to livestock, especially horses.

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