Beetle ID - Ask Extension
Hi there,
I found this beetle on my tomatoes yesterday and can't ID it yet. It looks similar to a Colorado potato beetle but with far fewer stripes....
Knowledgebase
Beetle ID #792154
Asked May 23, 2022, 9:24 AM EDT
Hi there,
I found this beetle on my tomatoes yesterday and can't ID it yet. It looks similar to a Colorado potato beetle but with far fewer stripes. Similar form and size to a lady beetle.
Can you tell me what this is?
Thanks!
Michaela
Lane County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Michaela,
That's a great photo!
The beetle you found is a kind of leaf beetle (Family: Chrysomelidae) called the tickseed leaf beetle, Calligrapha californica. They feed on wild plants called beggarsticks (Bidens species) and tickseeds (Coreopsis species). They might also feed on other plants in the aster family, but they do not feed on tomato plants or other plants people grow for food.
Here is a link with some other photos of tickseed leaf beetles for comparison, and some additional information...
http://10000thingsofthepnw.com/2020/09/22/calligrapha-californica-tickseed-leaf-beetle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=calligrapha-californica-tickseed-leaf-beetle
Enjoy!
That's a great photo!
The beetle you found is a kind of leaf beetle (Family: Chrysomelidae) called the tickseed leaf beetle, Calligrapha californica. They feed on wild plants called beggarsticks (Bidens species) and tickseeds (Coreopsis species). They might also feed on other plants in the aster family, but they do not feed on tomato plants or other plants people grow for food.
Here is a link with some other photos of tickseed leaf beetles for comparison, and some additional information...
http://10000thingsofthepnw.com/2020/09/22/calligrapha-californica-tickseed-leaf-beetle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=calligrapha-californica-tickseed-leaf-beetle
Enjoy!
