Knotgrass Leaf Beetle vs Melon Thrips

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Knotgrass Leaf Beetle Melon Thrips
Scientific Name Chrysolina hyperici Thrips palmi
Order Coleoptera Thysanoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Thripidae
Size 5-7 mm 1.0-1.3 mm
Habitat Grasslands Farmland
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe (native), introduced to Australia and North America Asia, Oceania, North America, South America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Knotgrass Leaf Beetle

A rounded, metallic bronze to coppery-green beetle that was introduced to control St. John's wort. It has a smooth, convex body with fine punctation across the elytra.

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Did You Know?

Introduced to Australia in the 1930s, it was one of the earliest successful biological control agents used against a weed in that country.

Melon Thrips

A pale yellow thrips and serious pest of cucurbits and solanaceous crops. It is a quarantine pest in many countries.

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Did You Know?

Melon thrips is listed as a quarantine pest in the European Union due to its destructive potential.