Brown Chafer vs African Cassava Leaf Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brown Chafer African Cassava Leaf Beetle
Scientific Name Serica brunnea Mesoplatys ochroptera
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Chrysomelidae
Size 8-11 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Heathland Farmland
Diet Root Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe Sub-Saharan Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Brown Chafer

A small chestnut-brown beetle with a velvety sheen to its elytra. It is nocturnal and attracted to lights on warm summer nights.

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Did You Know?

Its velvety appearance is caused by tiny, densely packed hairs covering the entire body surface.

African Cassava Leaf Beetle

A small, yellowish-brown beetle that is a significant pest of cassava in sub-Saharan Africa. Both adults and larvae feed on young cassava leaves and shoots.

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Did You Know?

Cassava leaf beetles can cause severe defoliation of cassava, one of Africa's most important food security crops feeding over 500 million people.