Asparagus Beetle vs Patchwork Leafcutter Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Asparagus Beetle Patchwork Leafcutter Bee
Scientific Name Crioceris asparagi Megachile centuncularis
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Megachilidae
Size 5-7 mm 7-12 mm
Habitat Farmland Gardens
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions North America, Europe Western Europe, Central Europe, Northern Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Asparagus Beetle

A colorful blue-black beetle with cream spots and a red thorax that feeds exclusively on asparagus. Both adults and larvae can defoliate asparagus plants.

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Did You Know?

A tiny parasitoid wasp, Tetrastichus asparagi, lays its eggs inside asparagus beetle eggs to control populations naturally.

Patchwork Leafcutter Bee

A solitary bee that neatly cuts oval pieces from rose and other leaves to line its nest cells. The characteristic semicircular cuts it leaves on leaves are a familiar garden sight.

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Did You Know?

Each nest cell requires around 15 precisely cut leaf pieces to construct.