Grasshopper-egg-predator
Guides
Anastoechus barbatus
Anastoechus barbatus is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae, distributed across much of North America. The species occurs from the Yukon east to Ontario in Canada, and across most of the United States from Massachusetts west to California and Texas, though it is absent from the southeastern United States. Its larvae are predators of grasshopper eggs, representing an important biological control mechanism.
Anastoechus hessei
Anastoechus hessei is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae. It occurs in the southwestern United States from California to Texas. The species was described by Hall in 1956. Its larvae are known predators of grasshopper eggs.
Epicauta
Burning Blister Beetles
Epicauta is a large genus of blister beetles (family Meloidae) comprising approximately 360 described species. The genus exhibits a nearly cosmopolitan distribution, with native species on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Adult Epicauta feed on plant foliage and flowers, while larvae are predatory specialists on grasshopper eggs. The genus is notable for producing cantharidin, a toxic terpenoid compound that serves as a chemical defense and can be lethal to vertebrates if ingested in sufficient quantities. Many species are significant agricultural pests, particularly of alfalfa and other forage crops, with documented cases of crop failure and livestock mortality from contaminated hay.
Epicauta fabricii
ashgray blister beetle
Epicauta fabricii, commonly known as the ashgray blister beetle, is a North American blister beetle in the family Meloidae. Adults feed on foliage of leguminous plants including honeylocust, black locust, alfalfa, sweet clover, wild indigo, soybean, and locoweed. Larvae are predatory, feeding on grasshopper eggs. The species belongs to the subgenus Macrobasis.
Epicauta vittata
striped blister beetle, old-fashioned potato beetle
Epicauta vittata is a blister beetle native to eastern North America, known for its distinctive black and yellow striped coloration and its status as a significant agricultural pest. Adults feed voraciously on a wide range of crop plants, particularly solanaceous species, and are capable of forming dense aggregations that move en masse through fields. The species contains cantharidin, a toxic terpenoid that poses serious health risks to livestock, particularly horses, when beetles are accidentally consumed in hay. The complex life cycle includes a mobile triungulin larval stage that parasitizes grasshopper egg cases before becoming a sedentary grub.
Systoechus candidulus
Systoechus candidulus is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae, first described by Loew in 1863. It is known from Ontario, Canada, and across most of the United States. The species is distinguished from the related genus Bombylius by adult activity timing—Systoechus species tend to be active in fall rather than spring. Its larvae are predators of grasshopper eggs, a trait that differs from the parasitoid lifestyle of many other bombyliid larvae.
Systoechus oreas
Systoechus oreas is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae. It is known from western North America, with records from British Columbia, Canada and the western United States. The larvae are predators of grasshopper eggs, a trait that distinguishes this species ecologically from many other bee flies. Adults are active in the fall, in contrast to the spring-active members of the related genus Bombylius.