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Potential blister beetle in hay #817575

Asked December 15, 2022, 11:07 PM EST

This large insect was found in my alfalfa mix hay- the 2nd one I have found. It resembles a blister beetle variety I've seen and I wanted to confirm. Although this one is missing the antennae, the other one I found was live and had them- but I did not take a picture. It was identical to this one though in size and markings. They are almost an inch long and my young 3yo mare has been pretty consistently experiencing diarrhea and swollen hind legs and my gelding had been acting more lethargic and experiencing more metabolic issues than previous. This hay would be from Lindstrom (Chisago county).

Chisago County Minnesota

Expert Response

I am sorry it can’t be identified from the photo provided. It usually requires top, bottom and side views as well as the antenna and all six legs.
I highly recommend consulting your veterinarian. It does not look like the blister beetles found in MN according to the extension briefs.
https://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2021/08/blister-beetles-in-alfalfa-hay.html
https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/insect/garden/beetles/large/blisterbeetle.html
Another expert was able to, suggest this
https://bugguide.net/node/view/902796

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