Bugs in my Garden

[mikhurram]

[Mustansir Billah]

Beautiful! It also scares aways little insects.

[Izhar]

Blister beetles (Mylabris pustula)... they are flower petal eaters... and resistant to normal dose of pesticides...

[mikhurram]

Izhar thank you for the information. I wasn't aware of the exact name and considered to be some type of a beetle. Is it harmful or beneficial for the garden. The following information on wikipedia puts it in both categories. "While the young Mylabris Pustulata are often beneficial to crops by suppressing other plant feeders, the adults can be a problem when present in large numbers. Flower feeding leads to lower yield and this can be a problem in some leguminous crops."

[Farhan Ahmed]

Gr8 info Izhar on further reading i found out

"Blister beetles receive their common name from the ability of their hemolymph to produce blistering on contact with human skin. Hemolymph is often exuded copiously by reflexive bleeding when an adult beetle is pressed or rubbed. Blisters commonly occur on the neck and arms, as the result of exposure to adult beetles attracted to outdoor lights at night. General handling of adults seldom results in blistering unless the hemolymph contacts the relatively thin skin between the fingers. Unless extensive, medical treatment beyond first aid for blistering on humans is probably not necessary. The blistering on the individual shown in the photograph, while uncomfortable, was not painful. The blisters soon diminished on their own. "

[Izhar]

You will absolutely hate them when they eat your giant hibiscus flowers, lagerstroemia flowers etc
and they fly here and there causing bhinn bhinn irritation...

[M Farooq]

Good to know the name. As children we used to play a rather cruel game with this insect in the sense that we would tie a piece of string in one its legs and used it as a flying kite. Thank God that the deep yellow liquid it releases upon touching / catching never touched my skin...otherwise :-)

They love Hibiscus flowers!