Cereal Leaf Beetle vs Italian Locust

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cereal Leaf Beetle Italian Locust
Scientific Name Oulema melanopus Calliptamus italicus
Order Coleoptera Orthoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Acrididae
Size 4-5 mm 15-35 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Seed Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe, North America (invasive), Asia Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cereal Leaf Beetle

A small beetle with metallic blue-black elytra and a red-orange thorax. Its larvae strip the upper leaf surface of cereal crops.

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Did You Know?

Larvae carry a shield of their own faeces on their backs to deter predators and prevent desiccation.

Italian Locust

A medium-sized locust with pink hindwings found across southern Europe and Central Asia. It favors dry, warm habitats and can swarm during outbreaks.

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Did You Know?

Its bright pink hindwings are flashed during flight to startle predators.