Viburnum Leaf Beetle vs Thai Aquatic Firefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Viburnum Leaf Beetle Thai Aquatic Firefly
Scientific Name Pyrrhalta viburni Luciola aquatilis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Lampyridae
Size 4-6 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Gardens Ponds & Lakes
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Europe (native), introduced to North America Southeast Asia, Thailand
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

Viburnum Leaf Beetle

A small, brownish-yellow beetle with dense pubescence that has become a serious invasive pest of ornamental viburnum shrubs. Larvae skeletonize leaves from the underside.

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Did You Know?

Females chew holes in twigs and deposit eggs inside, capping them with a mixture of excrement and chewed bark that hardens into a protective cover.

Thai Aquatic Firefly

A small Thai firefly notable for having truly aquatic larvae with functional gills. It was one of the first fireflies confirmed to have larvae that live entirely underwater.

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Did You Know?

This species was described in 2010 and was notable for being the first firefly with confirmed fully aquatic larvae possessing tracheal gills.