Cottonwood Leaf Beetle – Chrysomela scripata

Cottonwood Leaf Beetle   Scientific Name:  Chrysomela scripta Common Name: Cottonwood leaf beetle Appearance:  Cottonwood leaf beetle is a 6 mm long with a yellowish-brown body and broken, black stripes throughout its dorsal surface. It also has a black head, thorax, and antenna. The larva is also black in colour, with distinct white spots acting as scent glands. The males are smaller than the females. Host Plants or Food: Cottonwood leaf beetle is found on cottonwood, aspen, willow, and poplar trees. Territory: Throughout North America, Eastern USA, Western USA Mode of Damage:  It acts as a leaf chewer as well as a stem and twig damager Habits and Life History: Cottonwood leaf beetle is found in areas with a large number of willow and cottonwood trees. It overwinters an adult and can be found under barks or leaf litter. The females lay eggs in groups of 25 on the underside of the leaves, which give rise to the early instar of the larva. It only feeds on the leaves and skeletonizes them by feeding on the epidermis. It releases a strong scent from its glands to keep predators away. The larva hangs upside down from the leaves or branches to pupate for almost ten days and transform into an adult. It can cut down the stem volume to up to 70%, causing a decline in the overall health of the plant. Depending on the geography, there may be 3 or 4 generations per year.