Hi Laurie, that's a tough one, I figured it would be some kind of flower beetle or scarab. But they all have rounded bodies and yours actually fits the bill for some type of Tiger Beetle with its head and antennae shape, and straight body sides. But Tiger Beetles eat insects, not flowers. It's hard to identify an iridescent beetle because it can look purple, green, black, red, blue, all depending on the picture. Take a look at the Tiger beetle family and see what you think.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tiger Beetles

Thanks Gillian for giving me a direction to look into. It sure looks like it would belong in the tiger beetle family. I looked thru 14 pages of a google search on tiger beetles and none of them seemed to fit the bill. This one really did have more of the purple colouring than green, which seemed to be the most common type.

If they only ate insects then that wouldn't have been a problem. I would have welcomed them actually, but they were sure chowin' down on the lupins.

Btw, aren't their antennae cool looking? They look like a string of beads.

It looks like a leaf beetle.... but it says these guys live in the Amazon! Hmmmm.....

I found a picture on the net, see what you think? Sure looks alot like it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Metalic Purple Leaf Beetle

I just found this website... I haven't had time to check it all out yet, but gotta say my 8 year old DS is fascinated!! LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: What's that bug?

Thanks, I checked out those two sites, and the leaf beetle is really close on colour, but mine have a longer body and the back legs aren't as thick. Wouldn't that be something if I had some rare bugs from the Amazon and I killed them!

From the second site, I found something about ground beetles. So I googled them, and again found some that were close, but no cigar. And also ground beetles only eat insects and larvae, no lupins mentioned at all!lol

Maybe I'll have to find one of the bodies and take it in to someone at the university because this is starting to really make me curious.

It's very pretty whatever it is?

Laurie, check out the Garden Clinic, I'm sure one of the experts over there will be able to put a name to this mystery creature for you.

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Clinic

hmmm, do you think it might be this?
http://www.zin.ru/Animalia/Coleoptera/images/malaenkm.jpg
http://www.insectsofalberta.com/scarletmalachitebeetle.htm

This is bugging me what your bug is ;)

It has to be of the superfamily Cleroidea. There are so many that look almost the same, but not a purple one. Sharon's scarlet malachite is in the family too. This family are all plant eaters.

Maybe you could submit it to Bug Guide?

I emailed the picture of the bug to a relative who works in the canola industry and he says that it's a blister beetle. After a bit of searching for Manitoba blister beetles, I think the description that fits is the Lytta nuttalli beetle. This beetle does like legumes, which is the family that lupins are in, and also canola and some other plants. But the larvae are predatious on grasshopper eggs. So maybe later in the summer when the grasshoppers are eating everything, I'll be sorry I got rid of the blister beetles. But my lupins were thanking me now ;^)

Here is a link that might be useful: Lytta nuttalli blister beetle

"Pressing or rubbing adult blister beetles may cause them to exude some of their hemolymph ("blood"), which contains Cantharidin. Cantharidin causes blistering of the skin, thus the name blister beetle."

Yikes!

I forgot to mention in the first place Laurie, that is a really cool picture. It's way purpler than the others I found on the net but all the body parts are right.

Yes, all 10 of them were that same colour of purple, but the one website did mention that some of them are more violet than green. Good thing I didn't touch any of them.......I really don't need any more blisters this year!

A blister beetle, geez, I wouldn't even thought.

My DD just came up and when she looked at the picture she said "WOW, that is pretty. I want nailpolish that colour!" Too funny. "Blister Beetle Nailpolish" yah think it would sell? LOL

I have to agree that the Beetle was very pretty to look at!

Cool that you made an ID. It does look to be the right ID too -- DS mentioned that last night when we were googling bug pictures! LOL But the colouring didn't seem to be right based on just a picture. Maybe you've got to add this one to a bug database to show the more purple variety?

Ang

Ang, with teenagers now a days, "Blister Beetle Nailpolish" could be a big hit! Who knows?!lol

Well, just for curiousity sake, I did post the picture in the Bug Guide. It may be interesting to see what they have to say. It definitely is way more purple than any other picture I found on google. Maybe this batch wasn't quite true to the dye lot?lol

Maybe it was all the pink lupines it ate :

Hi all

I know I've been gone for sooooo long, but I'm not really gone. I keep up with all of you and your postings but I just don't have too much time to post back these days.

I couldn't figure out what as decimating my irises. After much searching, I discovered that it was this same blister beetle. They move pretty fast and like Laurie said, you can hear them munching!!! So much damage and in just one day. : ( Anyway, I found this thread and thought I'd better bump it up. I probably had about 35 or 40 of the critters and they were spreading to my delphs. Something has been chewing my lilies this year too. That's a bit scary but I haven't found anything yet. Maybe it was these and they've just migrated. They are attracted to the nectar of the flowers.

Sorry to all that don't approve, but I grabbed the Raid Earwig Killer. It seems to have worked but I'll have to check tomorrow. they are very active in the day and rest at night.

Miss you all. Hopefully, life will settle a bit in the fall and I'll be back. Lacrosse Lacrosse Lacrosse.

Shauna

Hi all...just happened to come check this thread out and boy, am I glad I did! this is exactly what was on my lilies and although your picture is great Laurie, isn't it just the most amazing "neon/metalic" green/purple BIG bug?!!!
SO...I wasn't sure what to do about it and then I read this thread, so now it is gonna be dead once I find it again (hopefully it is only one too!!)
Deb

They are sooooo pretty - but looks are sooooo deceiving!!!! That's how I first saw them was they were glinting in the sun. And THEN I saw my irises. These are really bad, bad, bad. Anyway, the Raid Earwig Killer took until the next morning to totally kill them. That shocked me. These are really tough bugs. Earwigs are pretty tough bugs, but these are tougher. Wow.

Thanks, Laurie, for originally putting the picture up. I had found them with some deep digging with Google, but your picture is definitely the best on the internet.

Shauna

Saw one on my raspberry bushes this afternoon. I don't know if they like raspberry leaves, but I guess I won't have to find out either... he squished pretty easily.

I agree, Laurie's picture is a really great picture. That's why I was able to identify it so readily. I knew I should kill it. And, I already had on my gardening gloves, so no blisters here.

Brenda

Wow, I can't believe this guy is still on the first page!lol Yes, looks sure can be deceiving for this case. Such a pretty metallic bug...I still love how his antennae look like strings of beads. Do be sure to admire his beauty before you crush the guts out of him. ;^)