Mystery Bug Answers
Mystery Picture #47
| P. Dillon, University of Kentucky Entomology | USDA Insect and Plant Disease Slide Set |
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| Novice | Expert |
Novice
This insect relative, the Millipede, lives in moist environments. It feeds on decaying plant material and plays an important role as a recycler or decomposer. Unlike their fast-moving cousin, the centipede, which has one pair of legs per body segment, these have two pairs per segment. They are members of the subclass Diplopoda.
Millipedes are mentioned in the "NOT harmful" section of our publication, "Get This Bug Off of Me! Kentucky's Dangerous and Not So Dangerous Insects"
To read more about these interesting creatures, see EntFact 645 - Millipedes.
Expert
The Mexican Bean Beetle is a ladybug gone bad. Although it is in the same family as the beneficial insects known as ladybugs or ladybird beetles, the Mexican bean beetle eats plants instead of other insects. It attacks a variety of beans including bush, pole, and lima beans, and can be a significant pest, unless, of course, you don't like beans, in which case it might seem like a beneficial insect to you!
As you can see from the picture, all the life stages can be found on the same leaf. Counter clockwise from the left we see the egg, larva, pupa and the adult. It is a native of the southwestern states which were originally part of Mexico (this was a hint to help you guess the name).