Mexican Bean Beetles

Mexican Bean Beetles

Most common in the East, these copper colored beetles, each with 16 black spots, resemble ladybird beetles in size and shape. The legless, 1/3 inch long larvae are yellow with six rows of long, black-tipped spines along their backs. Both adults and larvae feed on leaf undersides.

Target: Beans.

Damage: Leaves are chewed to lace; stems and pods may be eaten. Heavily infested plants may die.

Life cycle: In spring, adults feed for a short time before laying clusters of yellow eggs on leaf undersides. Larvae soon hatch; they feed, then pupate attached to leaves. Adults can overwinter in wooded areas or garden debris. There are one to four generations a year.

Notes: You can shake these beetles from their roosts onto a cloth, then discard them.

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