Aster World, Part 7: Beetles

Aster-loving beetles came in multiple shapes and colors!

A Black Blister Beetle munched on the flowers, October 6, 2021:

Epicauta pensylvanicus has an affinity for asters and other plants in the Sunflower Family.

Two brightly colored beetles visited the backyard asters at the same time:

Volunteer Hairy Asters (Symphyotrichum pilosum)

Geary Co., Kansas, October 22, 2021.

The red one is a Convergent Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens), and the yellow one is a Spotted Cucumber Beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata).

What are they looking for on the asters?

The Lady Beetle may be looking for tiny insects to eat, though she may also grab some pollen to supplement her diet.

The Cucumber Beetle is a vegetarian and may want to eat the flowers or foliage.

If she fills up on asters she may leave our garden vegetables alone!

The Lady Beetle, on the other hand, is welcome in our garden!

In September 2021, the asters were covered with Leatherwing Beetles, Chauliognathus pennsyvanicus:

Pennsylvania Leatherwings on Hairy Asters, September 22-23, 2021.

The Leatherwings come to the flowers to eat and mate. They lay their eggs in soil, and the larvae are voracious predators, consuming potato beetles, aphids, and many other soft-bodied insects.