BLISTER bugs are found throughout the United States and southern Canada. In Europe the best known of the blister beetles is called the Spanish fly (Cantharis vesicatoria); it occurs in great numbers in France and Spain. More than 200 species have been described, the greatest number being found in southwestern and western United States.
The commonest species in the East is known as Epicauta vittata. The adult beetle is yellowish1 or reddish above; the head and prothorax are marked with black, and there are two black stripes on the wing covers. In addition to E. vittata, another common species is E. pennsylvania, which is of a uniform black color.
The commonest beetle in the southwestern part of the United States is E. cinerea.2 It is a six-legged, ash-colored beetle, with elongated, almost parallel sides. The head is distinctly set off from the prothorax, and the end of the abdomen is exposed