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You are here: Home / Animals / Spotted Beetle

Spotted Beetle

spotted beetle

The Spotted Beetle, also known as the Spotted Cucumber Beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) belongs to the family Chrysomelidae.

The spotted cucumber beetle is a major agricultural pest insect. They are found east of Rocky Mountains. (Closely related species are found throughout United States).

Adult spotted cucumber beetles are greenish-yellow with six large black spots on each elytron (a modified, hardened forewing of certain insect orders, notably beetles (Coleoptera) and true bugs (Hemiptera). An elytron is sometimes also referred to as a shard).

The spotted cucumber beetle are about a quarter to a half centimetre long. Their larvae are yellowish and wormlike. In the adult form it eats and damages leaves of many crops, including cucumbers, soy beans, cotton, beans and many others. In the larval form, which is known as the ‘southern corn rootworm’, it tunnels through the roots of young plants, stunting their growth or killing them.

These native pests have a wide range of host plants, but will readily infest a field of crop plants, most notoriously corn.

spotted cucumber beetle

The Spotted Beetle Subspecies

The spotted cucumber beetle has three subspecies, each with a different common name;

  • Spotted cucumber beetle also known as the Southern corn rootworm (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi)
  • Western cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata tenella)
  • Western spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata undecimpunctata)

 

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About Joanne Spencer

I've always been passionate about animals which led me to a career in training and behaviour. As an animal professional I'm committed to improving relationships between people and animals to bring them more happiness.

Animal Classification

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Coleoptera
Family:Chrysomelidae
Genus:Diabrotica
Species:D. undecimpunctata
Binomial name:Diabrotica undecimpunctata

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