I found this beetle on my lilac bush

14 years ago

.....I am so sorry if I am posting in the wrong forum .... I'm just "lost" at trying to find info . I'm new into gardening all together ... Since I'm in Milwaukee ,WI .... I thought I'd ask here first . ( if you can direct me somewhere else ~ tell me and I will go ! )

I HATE bugs . They make my skin crawl. **BUT** I was out by my lilacs .. and saw this beautiful beetle on a leave. I've never seen anything like it . I actually picked it up & let it crawl on me - I was so fascinated. The markings were fantastic. I searched the web with every key word I could think of ... I only got one picture that was "Similar" - not exact .

Here's my description ..... it was about a half inch long .... just a beetle type bug. It's head was irridrized blue/greenish .... on his back were very thin back & yellow stripes -- Horizontaly . (* Not a cucumber beetle ) In the middle of it's back - it had a marking that looked like a shield .... irrid. too . It was so pretty . I found this pic on the net that is the closest thing I can find to it's description.

Do you know ? Is it a friend or foe ? Thank you all for helping me ! :-)

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Comments (2)

mscheese1
14 years ago
Your picture says it has been removed-and you probably have gotten an answer somewhere by now-but I was thinking from your description of the iridescent green, and that it didn't try to escape from you, I was wondering do you know what Japanese Beetles look like? Do a search on those and see if they are what you saw (I haven't figured out how to post pictures here yet). The three years I have been here in Beaver Dam we have been increasingly inundated with these, and if they have a taste for your plant (and they have very specific tastes, to the point that I am considering pulling out all the bee balm and coneflowers that were here when we got our place because they totally decimate them) there is not much you can do.
futureconiferqueen
14 years ago
I get rid of them by keeping a bucket of soapy water outside and patrolling the yard with it at least once a day. I knock any Japanese beetle I see into the bucket. Low tech, but cheap and it works. You must be diligent about it though.
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