Avalus has sent in some pictures he’s taken on one of his many walks. The first two photos are likely a potato bug, but the red and black bug is a mystery. Can you help? As always, you can click the photos for full-size.
Probably a potato bug ©Avalus, all rights reserved.
Probable potato bug ©Avalus, all rights reserved.
A freaky bug ©Avalus, all rights reserved.
I think the red and black one is one of the checkered beetles in the genus Trichodes, most likely Trichodes apivorus. Here is its species page on Bugguide:
https://bugguide.net/node/view/6360
That first one is definitively a potato bug. A mortal enemy in my garden, killed on sight. Nuke it from the orbit, thats the only way to be sure!
I think the second one is Trichodes apiarius.
#1: vile potato bug
In the UK tthe first bug would be called a Colarado beetle. We have managed to remain free of it, but it is a notifiable pest so we hopefully remain free of it’s ravages.