Cottonwood Leaf Beetle vs Turnip Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cottonwood Leaf Beetle Turnip Moth
Scientific Name Chrysomela scripta Agrotis segetum
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Noctuidae
Size 6-9 mm 35-45 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Wood Feeders Root Feeders
Regions North America Europe, Africa, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Cottonwood Leaf Beetle

A variable beetle with pale yellow elytra marked with dark elongated spots and streaks. It is a common defoliator of cottonwood, poplar, and willow trees across North America.

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Did You Know?

Larvae release volatile salicylaldehyde from glands on their thorax and abdomen, producing a distinctive medicinal smell that repels ants.

Turnip Moth

A drab brown moth whose fat cutworm larvae sever the stems and roots of root vegetables and seedlings. It is one of the most widespread cutworm pests in the Old World.

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Did You Know?

Larvae can survive extended periods of drought by burrowing deep into the soil and entering a dormant state.