Checkered Beetle vs Viburnum Leaf Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Checkered Beetle Viburnum Leaf Beetle
Scientific Name Trichodes apiarius Pyrrhalta viburni
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Cleridae Chrysomelidae
Size 9-16 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Underground Gardens
Diet Parasites Herbivores
Regions Europe, North Africa Europe (native), introduced to North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Checkered Beetle

A brightly colored red and blue beetle often found on flowers. Its larvae are parasites of solitary bee nests.

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Did You Know?

Females lay eggs near bee nests so larvae can invade and consume the bee brood.

Viburnum Leaf Beetle

A small, brownish-yellow beetle with dense pubescence that has become a serious invasive pest of ornamental viburnum shrubs. Larvae skeletonize leaves from the underside.

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Did You Know?

Females chew holes in twigs and deposit eggs inside, capping them with a mixture of excrement and chewed bark that hardens into a protective cover.