Striped Cucumber Beetle
ExploreInsects
Striped Cucumber Beetle
acalymma vittatum
The Striped Cucumber Beetle (Acalymma vittatum) is a prominent and widespread insect native to North America, known primarily as a major agricultural pest of cucurbit plants. While they pose a significant challenge for gardeners and farmers who grow cucumbers, squashes, and melons, these beetles are fascinating subjects of chemical ecology. They have developed a highly specialized relationship with their host plants, utilizing the plants' own chemical defenses as cues for feeding and mating. Discover and identify species like Striped Cucumber Beetle with the Snappit app.
Habitat: Found in agricultural fields, home vegetable gardens, and wild meadows where cucurbit plants grow.
Appearance
This small, elongated beetle typically measures between 5 and 7 millimeters in length. It is easily recognized by its striking coloration: its wing covers (elyra) are bright yellow-to-orange and marked with three distinct, black longitudinal stripes running down its back. Its head and long antennae are dark brown or black, while its thorax matches the bright yellow of its body, and its underside is completely black.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderColeopteraFamilyChrysomelidaeGenusAcalymma
Category
InsectsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
Be the first to snap!
Interesting facts
The beetles hibernate through the winter as adults, hiding in nearby woodlands or heavy crop residue until spring.
They are actually stimulated to eat more by the bitter defenses (cucurbitacins) that plants produce to keep other pests away.
While adult beetles are highly visible above ground, their larvae live entirely in the soil, feeding on plant roots.
Special abilities
Ability
Cucurbitacin Attraction
The beetle possesses highly specialized chemical receptors that allow it to detect and home in on extremely faint traces of bitter defensive chemicals produced by cucumber-family plants.
Ability
Bacterial Wilt Vectoring
It acts as a primary vector for the devastating plant pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila, harboring the bacteria in its gut and transmitting it to plants through feeding wounds.
Ability
Chemical Sequestration
Adult beetles are capable of absorbing and storing toxic compounds from their food, making themselves unpalatable to potential predators.
Measurements & details
- Length
- 0+ cm
- Weight
- 0+ kg
- Lifespan
- 0+ years
- Clutch Size
- 200+
- Incubation
- 5+ days
Diet & Feeding
Adults feed heavily on the leaves, flowers, and fruit of cucumber family plants, while the subterranean larvae feed exclusively on the roots.
Primary Foods
- Cucumber leaves
- Squash blossoms
- Pumpkin stems
- Melon rind
Foraging Method
- Foraging
Ecological connections
host plant
Cucumber
Cucumis sativus
The beetle feeds on the foliage, stems, and flowers of this host, often transmitting bacterial wilt in the process.
eaten by
Spined Soldier Bug
Podisus maculiventris
This generalist predatory bug actively hunts and feeds on both the larval and adult stages of the beetle.
parasite
Tachinid Fly
Celatoria diabroticae
A specialized parasitoid fly that lays its eggs inside adult cucumber beetles, eventually killing them.
Traits
No trait badges are assigned for this object yet.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
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Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Striped Cucumber Beetle?
The easiest way to identify Striped Cucumber Beetle is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How long is Striped Cucumber Beetle?
0+ cm
How much does Striped Cucumber Beetle weigh?
0+ kg
How long does Striped Cucumber Beetle live?
0+ years
What does Striped Cucumber Beetle eat?
Adults feed heavily on the leaves, flowers, and fruit of cucumber family plants, while the subterranean larvae feed exclusively on the roots.
Where is Striped Cucumber Beetle usually found?
Found in agricultural fields, home vegetable gardens, and wild meadows where cucurbit plants grow.
How does Striped Cucumber Beetle hunt?
Foraging
How many eggs does Striped Cucumber Beetle lay?
200+
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