Spotted cucumber beetle, herbaceous perennials

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IPM Scouting in Herbaceous Perennials

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Spotted cucumber beetle

Adult spotted cucumber beetles chew holes in plant leaves and flowers. They commonly feed on pollen. Although adults typically cause minimal damage, large populations may significantly damage plants, particularly those in the sunflower family, including chrysanthemum, coreopsis and dahlia. The adults overwinter in plant debris.

Management: In early spring, cover plants with a row cover until blooming starts. Remove and discard any plant debris. Contact insecticides may be used to control the adults.

Adults are 6 mm long and yellow-green with a small black head. There are typically 12 black spots on the hard wing covers.

This information was developed from A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Herbaceous Perennials by Jan Byrne and Raymond A. Cloyd. Purchase this in a pocket-sized guide for reference in the orchard from MSU Extension (publication E-2981).

The MSU IPM Program maintains this site as an access point to pest management information at MSU. The IPM Program is administered within the Department of Entomology, fueled by research from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, delivered to citizens through MSU Extension, and proud to be a part of Project GREEEN.
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Updated 8/07/07