Cotesia Congregata vs Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cotesia Congregata Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle
Scientific Name Cotesia congregata Psylliodes chrysocephala
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Braconidae Chrysomelidae
Size 2-3 mm 3-4.5 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Parasitoids Leaf Miners
Regions North America Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Cotesia Congregata

A gregarious endoparasitoid whose larvae emerge en masse from hornworm caterpillars to spin white cocoons on the host's skin. It is a well-known natural enemy of tobacco and tomato hornworms.

💡

Did You Know?

Up to 300 larvae can emerge from a single hornworm caterpillar, covering it in tiny white silk cocoons.

Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle

A dark metallic flea beetle that is a major pest of oilseed rape across Europe. Larvae mine inside plant stems during winter. Has developed resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides in some areas.

💡

Did You Know?

Became an even more serious pest after the EU ban on neonicotinoid seed treatments in 2018.