Cromwell Chafer Beetle vs Red Pumpkin Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cromwell Chafer Beetle Red Pumpkin Beetle
Scientific Name Prodontria lewisii Aulacophora foveicollis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Chrysomelidae
Size 1-1.5 cm 5-8 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Farmland
Diet Herbivores Seed Feeders
Regions New Zealand South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia
Conservation Critically Endangered Least Concern

Cromwell Chafer Beetle

A small chafer beetle endemic to a tiny area near Cromwell in Central Otago, New Zealand. Adults are nocturnal and feed on native grasses.

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Did You Know?

Its entire habitat is protected within an 81-hectare reserve, one of the smallest nature reserves created for an insect.

Red Pumpkin Beetle

A uniformly bright orange-red beetle with fine punctures on the pronotum and smooth elytra. It is a highly destructive pest of cucurbits throughout tropical and subtropical Asia and Africa.

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Did You Know?

In India, this beetle is one of the top three most damaging pests of cucurbit vegetables, attacking over 80 species of cucurbits.