Pacific Willow Leaf Bettle – Pyrrhalta decora carbo
Pacific Willow Leaf Beetle (Pyrrhalta decora carbo)
Common Name: Pacific Willow Leaf Beetle
Latin Name: Pyrrhalta decora carbo
Appearance:
The Pacific Willow Leaf Beetle is a small bug that is shiny green. Its shape is an oval that is longer than it is wide, and its color is polished and can be bright green or bluish-green. A lot of the time, the elytra (wing covers) are shiny and look like metal.
Host Plants:
As its name suggests, the Pacific Willow Leaf Beetle mostly eats different kinds of willow trees. They are known to attack many types of willow.
Territory:
The Pacific Willow Leaf Beetle is commonly found in western North America, particularly in regions with willow trees.
Damages caused by Pacific Willow Leaf Beetle:
Pacific Willow Leaf Beetle larvae eat willow tree leaves. Getting this much food can cause defoliation, which means the leaves fall off. Defoliation doesn’t usually hurt mature, healthy willow trees, but frequent or long-term infestations can weaken them, making them more likely to be damaged by weather or disease.
Life History and Habits:
- Egg:The female Pacific Willow Leaf Beetle lays eggs on the leaves of willow trees that it feeds on. The eggs are small and oval and usually laid in groups.
- Larval:The larvae, or worms, emerge after the eggs hatch. They eat the host plant’s leaves like crazy, often breaking them down to their bones.
- Pupal:The worms pupate when they are fully grown. They might do this on the host plant or the ground under the tree.
- Adults:the adult Pacific Willow Leaf Beetle comes out of its cocoon. Now that they are adults, they still eat willow leaves and may mate to have babies.