OMG! In my beds these guys are definitely destructive! I noticed them moving in last year and this year they are literally piled up on top of one another! However, I don't think this species cares to much for grasshopper eggs! I noticed them pretty late last year in the season where they were sitting on the Calendula flowers, but didn't see any damage. This year (especially in the last month)I really started to see all of the damage. They are eating all of the flowers and many of which haven't even had the chance to fully open. At first they were only after the Calendula...hundreds of flowers in all stages with as many as 4 beetles per flower. Not one flower without a minimum 1 beetle! Now it's any flower that is orange, yellow, red-orange or a combination of all ....Black-eyed Susan, Marigold, Blanket Flower, Tithonia, Coreopsis, Sunflower, etc!!! I'll be lucky to harvest seeds from any of these this year. How in the world do I get control back here?! I have A LOT of area to cover :O HELP please! Thanks, Vera PS...even the Praying Mantid's (and there are many) can't keep up! PSS Here is a link to google images of these beetles..... Here is a link that might be useful: Black Blister Beetle (google images)

I personally don't think in PA that it has great potential of becoming a noxious weed so you have to weigh.... am I more worried about it reseeding into the wild an disturbing native plants? or do I want to provide forage for bees and butterflies? Disturbance of native plants is a problem but only with plants that pose this risk in pa again I doubt this would become a real problem..... I don't think the usda even has it listed on the trouble or "potential" trouble list..... there are many other plants to worry about that disturb native flora on the other hand the fauna..... bees (honey bees especially) and many butterflies are endangered due to loosing their "habitat" and things to forage..... Especially in the northeast were developement is rampant is this a problem.... tearing out old bushes and shrubs and flowers etc. woods and fields and planning and building new developments planted at least at first with just a few "background" junipers and evergreens and impatiens in the summer is hardly a good environment for food for butterflies etc. what it looks like to them in a near empty banquet table! Thus many species are starving.... I'd say plant the butterfly bush and give them something to eat! :) If you're concerned for the enviroment etc. and local fauna in particular plant some more plants for native birds (berry nut plants etc.) and some native shrubs etc. that provide forage (food) for butterflies etc. and forage for their larvae . :)

I saw your post a couple of weeks ago, and didn't have an answer for you. But just last night I read that the larvae of the assassin bug is orange, so that might be what your creatures are. If they are, then they are considered friendly (according to this book I read), as the assassin bug will eat other harmful bugs. Hope that helps.

what would your COUNTY extension office know about bags of MIRACLE soil shipped from god knows what third world country ... i would bet my nickle.. that would be a waste of time... i would spend my time calling the 800 on the bag.. and asking miracle grows peeps.. what the heck they are shipping around the country .... and whether they have any concerns about shipping god knows what bugs country wide ... isnt that how the med fruit fly and the EAB bugs got shipped all over the country ... i gotta think there might be some liability involved ... ken