Bug FAQRed-headed Blister Beetle
Epicauta atrata · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Meloidae
It lives in both Central America and North America. It preys on the eggs of the crop pest Epicauta vittata.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It is identified by a red head and a completely black body.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The species occurs in Central America and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It attacks the eggs of Epicauta vittata, a known crop pest on the East Coast.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes Central America and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, Arkansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Same family (Meloidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicauta_atrata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.