The cottonwood leaf beetle is a member of the leaf beetle family, attaining their name since they primarily feed on cottonwood alongcol3 other plants. Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius first described the species in 1801.
Size: 6 mm
Color: Its head, thorax, and clubbed antennae appear black. The wing covers have a yellowish coloration, broken up with splashes of black stripes.
Other Characteristic Features: The male beetles are mostly smaller in size than their female counterparts.
They start as black, but as they mature, they become brown with white spots, which act as scent glands. The larva measures up to 12 mm, with some having a grayish body. Before pupation, the mature larva attaches themselves in an upcol3-down posture to the undercol3s of the leaves and bark.
In most cases, the young larva starts as gregarious feeders eating the leaves’ undercol3s. In contrast, the older ones feed on the entire foliage leaving out the bigger and thicker veins.
Pupae are black, similar to the larvae, found on leaves and branches. The adult beetles appear after passing through a pupation phase lasting for 5-10 days.
These eggs are yellow, with 15-75 laid at a time.
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Distribution | United States |
| Habitat | Forests and gardens |
| Seasons active | Summer |
| Predators | Ants, lady beetles, stinkbugs, spiders, and parasitic wasps |
| Host plants | Cottonwood alder, aspen, basket willow, and poplar. |
| Diet of adults | Leaves and immature buds of host plants |
These beetles leave holes in leaves, sometimes even skeletonizing them. The larvae are more voracious feeders than the adults causing more damage than the latter.
Image Source: bugguide.net, entnemdept.ufl.edu, discoverlife.org, a4.pbase.com, bugwoodcloud.org, extension.umd.edu, lh3.ggpht.com
The cottonwood leaf beetle is a member of the leaf beetle family, attaining their name since they primarily feed on cottonwood alongcol3 other plants. Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius first described the species in 1801.
Size: 6 mm
Color: Its head, thorax, and clubbed antennae appear black. The wing covers have a yellowish coloration, broken up with splashes of black stripes.
Other Characteristic Features: The male beetles are mostly smaller in size than their female counterparts.
They start as black, but as they mature, they become brown with white spots, which act as scent glands. The larva measures up to 12 mm, with some having a grayish body. Before pupation, the mature larva attaches themselves in an upcol3-down posture to the undercol3s of the leaves and bark.
In most cases, the young larva starts as gregarious feeders eating the leaves’ undercol3s. In contrast, the older ones feed on the entire foliage leaving out the bigger and thicker veins.
Pupae are black, similar to the larvae, found on leaves and branches. The adult beetles appear after passing through a pupation phase lasting for 5-10 days.
These eggs are yellow, with 15-75 laid at a time.
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Distribution | United States |
| Habitat | Forests and gardens |
| Seasons active | Summer |
| Predators | Ants, lady beetles, stinkbugs, spiders, and parasitic wasps |
| Host plants | Cottonwood alder, aspen, basket willow, and poplar. |
| Diet of adults | Leaves and immature buds of host plants |
These beetles leave holes in leaves, sometimes even skeletonizing them. The larvae are more voracious feeders than the adults causing more damage than the latter.
Image Source: bugguide.net, entnemdept.ufl.edu, discoverlife.org, a4.pbase.com, bugwoodcloud.org, extension.umd.edu, lh3.ggpht.com
