Dock Bug vs Euphorbia Flea Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dock Bug Euphorbia Flea Beetle
Scientific Name Coreus marginatus Aphthona euphorbiae
Order Hemiptera Coleoptera
Family Coreidae Chrysomelidae
Size 12-15 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Sap Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Dock Bug

A common European squash bug relative that feeds on dock and sorrel plants. It has a distinctively wide, flattened abdomen with expanded margins.

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Did You Know?

When handled, it releases a scent that many people describe as smelling distinctly like green apples.

Euphorbia Flea Beetle

A tiny bronze flea beetle that feeds on spurge plants. Used as a highly effective biological control agent for leafy spurge in North America. Larvae feed on spurge roots.

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Did You Know?

Released in North America, it became one of the most successful biocontrol programs for the invasive leafy spurge.