- Grapevine beetle
Taxobox
name = Grapevine Beetle
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Arthropod a
classis =Insect a
ordo = Coleoptera
familia =Scarabaeidae
genus = "Pelidnota "
species = "P. punctata"
binomial = "Pelidnota punctata"
binomial_authority = (Casey , 1915)The grapevine beetle, "Pelidnota punctata", also known as Spotted June Beetle or the Spotted Pelidnota, is a member of the subfamily Rutelinae of the Scarab beetle family. Grapevine beetles are common in the north and centralUnited States and Eastern Canada, but do relatively little damage to their host plants.The adult beetle is approximately 2.5 cm (1 inch) long, off-yellow, with three spots running down each side. Fine black lines divide the edges of its
elytra . At other times, the beetle may have been known as "Pelidnota lutea."Habitat and Diet
The beetle lives in the eastern coast of
North America , as well asFlorida ,Nebraska and north westernMissouri . It lives, like many beetles, inforests , and is mostly seen during thesummer . It is also seen in vineyards and gardens.The adult beetle eats the leaves and fruit of
grapevines , both wild and cultivated, although it is not normally a major pest ofvineyards .Beetle eggs are laid in rotten wood or tree stumps, where they hatch into
larvae . Larvae feed on the rotting wood and pupate to become adults from May to September [ National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. Knopf, 1998] .References
External links
* [http://bugguide.net/node/view/3139/tree Bug Guide]
* [http://www.cirrusimage.com/beetle_grapevine.htm Grapevine Beetle diagnostic reference photos and information]
* [http://www.virginiafruit.ento.vt.edu/pelidnota.html Virginia Fruit page]
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