Willow Calligrapha vs Cereal Leaf Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Willow Calligrapha Cereal Leaf Beetle
Scientific Name Calligrapha multipunctata bigsbyana Oulema melanopus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Chrysomelidae
Size 7-9 mm 4-5 mm
Habitat Wetlands Farmland
Diet Herbivores Seed Feeders
Regions North America Europe, North America (invasive), Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Willow Calligrapha

A subspecies of Calligrapha with pale elytra marked with elongated dark spots and dashes. It is associated with willow trees along waterways in North America.

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Did You Know?

Calligrapha beetles are a model system for studying pattern formation in biology, as no two individuals share the same elytral markings.

Cereal Leaf Beetle

A small beetle with metallic blue-black elytra and a red-orange thorax. Its larvae strip the upper leaf surface of cereal crops.

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Did You Know?

Larvae carry a shield of their own faeces on their backs to deter predators and prevent desiccation.