Blister Beetle vs True Armyworm Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blister Beetle True Armyworm Moth
Scientific Name Epicauta vittata Mythimna unipuncta
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Meloidae Noctuidae
Size 12-20 mm 35-45 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Blister Beetle

A striped black and yellow beetle that releases cantharidin, a chemical causing painful skin blisters. It is a pest of tomatoes and potatoes.

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Did You Know?

Horses can die from eating hay contaminated with just a few crushed blister beetles.

True Armyworm Moth

A tawny-brown moth with a single white dot on each forewing. Its larvae march in armies across fields, devastating cereal crops.

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Did You Know?

Larvae travel in large groups across the ground like a marching army, hence the common name.