Blue milkweed beetle of the leaf beetle family is indigenous to the western United States, and parts of British Columbia. The bright cobalt blue coloration of these beetles has resulted in their name.
Size: 6 – 9 mm (0.24 – 0.inches)
Color: They have a bright cobalt blue appearance.
Other Characteristic Features: One of their distinctive features is their clubbed antenna and an oval body.
No detail remains available regarding the identification of the blue milkweed beetle species. However, they mainly feed on the leaf tissues and roots of milkweed plants resulting in immense damage.
The pupation phase occurs near the milkweed leaves where the larva inhabits.
The eggs appear small and round, mostly laid on the milkweed plant’s leaves.
| Other Names | Cobalt milkweed beetle |
| Adult lifespan | About six weeks |
| Duration of larval stage | Not recorded |
| Distribution | British Columbia to parts of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, California, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona |
| Habitat | Grasslands, railroads, roadcol3, and in places where the host plants grow |
| Common Predators | Birds, wasps |
| Seasons active from | Not recorded |
| Host Plants | Milkweed |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Larvae: Leaf tissues and roots Adults: Leaves and flowers of milkweed plants |
The adult blue milkweed beetle chews the leaves, making holes in them. On the other hand, the larvae consume the leaf tissues and veins, skeletonizing the leaves to the fullest. Since the caterpillars feed on the roots also, they cause overall damage to the plants causing them to wither.
Image Source: storage.needpix.com, lh3.googleusercontent.com, bugguide.net, lh6.ggpht.com
Blue milkweed beetle of the leaf beetle family is indigenous to the western United States, and parts of British Columbia. The bright cobalt blue coloration of these beetles has resulted in their name.
Size: 6 – 9 mm (0.24 – 0.inches)
Color: They have a bright cobalt blue appearance.
Other Characteristic Features: One of their distinctive features is their clubbed antenna and an oval body.
No detail remains available regarding the identification of the blue milkweed beetle species. However, they mainly feed on the leaf tissues and roots of milkweed plants resulting in immense damage.
The pupation phase occurs near the milkweed leaves where the larva inhabits.
The eggs appear small and round, mostly laid on the milkweed plant’s leaves.
| Other Names | Cobalt milkweed beetle |
| Adult lifespan | About six weeks |
| Duration of larval stage | Not recorded |
| Distribution | British Columbia to parts of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, California, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona |
| Habitat | Grasslands, railroads, roadcol3, and in places where the host plants grow |
| Common Predators | Birds, wasps |
| Seasons active from | Not recorded |
| Host Plants | Milkweed |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Larvae: Leaf tissues and roots Adults: Leaves and flowers of milkweed plants |
The adult blue milkweed beetle chews the leaves, making holes in them. On the other hand, the larvae consume the leaf tissues and veins, skeletonizing the leaves to the fullest. Since the caterpillars feed on the roots also, they cause overall damage to the plants causing them to wither.
Image Source: storage.needpix.com, lh3.googleusercontent.com, bugguide.net, lh6.ggpht.com
