Diet

• Adults: Feed on the leaves, flowers, and pollen of a wide variety of plants. They are particularly associated with beans and other legumes, but also feed on cucurbits, corn, cotton, and numerous other crops.

• Larvae: Feed primarily on plant roots, particularly the roots of corn, beans, and other herbaceous crops.

• Larval feeding can damage roots, while adults can cause extensive foliar damage when populations are high.

Range

• Native to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, extending into parts of the southern United States.

• Widespread throughout Mexico, including the Pacific coast and Guerrero.

• It is one of the more common Diabrotica species associated with agricultural and disturbed habitats in tropical and subtropical America.

Habitat

• Found in tropical dry forests, woodland edges, grasslands, agricultural fields, gardens, orchards, and disturbed vegetation.

• Adults are commonly found on crop foliage and flowers, while larvae develop in the soil around plant roots.

• Particularly abundant where beans, corn, cucurbits, and other suitable host plants are grown.

Size

• Adult length: approximately 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in).

• Body elongated-oval, typically yellowish-green to green with dark transverse bands or markings on the elytra.