Mexican Bean Beetle vs Willow Bean-Gall Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Mexican Bean Beetle Willow Bean-Gall Sawfly
Scientific Name Epilachna varivestis Pontania proxima
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Coccinellidae Tenthredinidae
Size 6-8 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Farmland Wetlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions North America, Central America Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Mexican Bean Beetle

One of the few plant-feeding ladybird beetles, recognized by its copper color and eight black spots per wing cover. Both adults and larvae skeletonize bean leaves.

💡

Did You Know?

Unlike most ladybugs which are beneficial predators, the Mexican bean beetle is a destructive crop pest.

Willow Bean-Gall Sawfly

A tiny sawfly that induces distinctive bean-shaped galls on the leaves of various willow species. Each gall contains a single larva feeding on internal gall tissue.

💡

Did You Know?

The gall-inducing chemicals secreted by the larva redirect the plant's growth to create a nutrient-rich chamber specifically for the larva's benefit.