Spotted Cucumber Beetle vs Water Spinach Flea Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spotted Cucumber Beetle Water Spinach Flea Beetle
Scientific Name Diabrotica undecimpunctata Chaetocnema basalis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Chrysomelidae
Size 5-7mm 1.5-2 mm
Habitat Farmland Wetlands
Diet Root Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions North America South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Spotted Cucumber Beetle

A yellowish-green beetle with eleven black spots on its elytra. It is a significant agricultural pest of cucurbits, corn, and other crops.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae are known as corn rootworms and can cause billions of dollars in crop damage annually.

Water Spinach Flea Beetle

A tiny, shiny dark bronze to black flea beetle that is a significant pest of rice seedlings and water spinach across tropical Asia. Its shot-hole feeding weakens young plants.

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Did You Know?

Despite its minute size, this beetle can cause devastating damage to rice nurseries when it attacks seedlings at the one-leaf stage.