Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi and D

Cucumber beetle is a common name given to members of two genera of

beetles Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

, ''

Diabrotica ''Diabrotica'' is a large, widespread genus of beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. Members of this genus include several destructive agricultural pest species, sometimes referred to as corn rootworms. There are an estimated 400 species grouped ...

'' and '' Acalymma'', both in the family

Chrysomelidae The beetle family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as leaf beetles, includes over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making it one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous s ...

. The adults can be found on

cucurbits The Cucurbitaceae (), also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in 101 genera.

such as

cucumber The cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

of agricultural crops. The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of several cucumber beetles are known as corn rootworms. Some well-known pests include the western corn rootworm (''D. virgifera virgifera''), the spotted cucumber beetle and its larva, the southern corn rootworm (''D. undecimpunctata''), the cucurbit beetle (''D. speciosa''), the banded cucumber beetle (''D. balteata''), the northern corn rootworm (''D. barberi''), the striped cucumber beetle (''A. vittatum''), and the western striped cucumber beetle (''A. trivittatum''). The insects live about eight weeks, during which time both larva and adult feed on plants. Adults will attack the tender young growth of stems and leaves, and the buds and petals on mature specimens. They also carry and spread the bacterial wilt organism '' Erwinia tracheiphila'' and the cucumber mosaic virus. Eggs are laid in clusters on the undersides of host leaves and hatch into larvae long. The larvae often tunnel into the soil to attack roots. Cucumber beetles can overwinter in crop fields or in

compost Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by Decomposition, decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and man ...

or trash piles. Eradication efforts may include manual removal, clearing cultivated areas of litter, debris, and infested plants, and application of

pyrethrin The pyrethrins are a class of organic compounds normally derived from ''Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium'' that have potent Insecticide, insecticidal activity by targeting the nervous systems of insects. Pyrethrin naturally occurs in chrysanthemum f ...

-containing

insecticide Insecticides are pesticides used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. The major use of insecticides is in agriculture, but they are also used in home and garden settings, i ...

s such as cyfluthrin or non-systemic

organophosphate In organic chemistry, organophosphates (also known as phosphate esters, or OPEs) are a class of organophosphorus compounds with the general structure , a central phosphate molecule with alkyl or aromatic substituents. They can be considered ...

insecticides such as malathion.

References

External links

{{Wikispecies, Acalymma
Cucumber Beetles.
Virginia Cooperative Extension Office.

Cass County Extension Office.

on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures website. Chrysomelidae Agricultural pest insects Insect common names