Mexican Bean Beetle on Legume Vegetables
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Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) is a common foliar pest of beans. Damage is often observed before the pest is seen because Mexican bean beetles feed on the undersides of leaves. The beetles characteristically chew partially through the leaf, resulting in a skeleton-sized window-pane symptom. Larvae are yellow, spiny, oval in shape, and reach about 1/3 inch long. Yellow pupae attached to undersides of leaves do not move or feed. Adults are round, 1/3 inch, red to reddish-tan in color with 16 black spots on wing covers arranged in three rows.
Mexican bean beetle larva
(Photo: Ric Bessin, University of Kentucky)
Mexican bean beetle pupa.
(Photo: Ric Bessin, University of Kentucky)
Mexican bean beetle adult.
(Photo: Ric Bessin, University of Kentucky)
Management:
- Monitor plants weekly and use insecticides only as needed to keep defoliation below 20%.