Spotted Cucumber Beetle

The three primary types of cucumber beetles are the spotted cucumber beetle, the banded cucumber beetle (Diabrotica balteata), and the striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum). In North America, the spotted and striped cucumber beetles are the most commonly encountered varieties. The spotted cucumber beetle has three subspecies, each with a different common name:

Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi – spotted cucumber beetle or southern corn rootworm Diabrotica undecimpunctata tenella – western cucumber beetle Diabrotica undecimpunctata undecimpunctata – western spotted cucumber beetle In the adult form, it eats leaves of many crops, including squash, cucumbers, soybeans, cotton, beans, and corn. Adult beetles lay eggs in the soil near a cucurbit plant. In a lifetime, females can lay between 150 and 400 eggs. However, there have been cases in which females have surpassed this quota, with some laying a total of 1,200 eggs. The eggs hatch around mid-spring and take 6–9 days to hatch under favorable conditions. In some cases, specifically when the climate is at a lower temperature, eggs can take 30 days to hatch. The ideal soil for egg survival is moist. The larval stage lasts around 2–3 weeks and the larvae are yellowish and wormlike. After the larval stage insects become pupae, this stage lasts for 6–10 days. …

This species is found throughout southern Canada, the continental United States, and the central highlands of Mexico, but is particularly widespread throughout the southern states.

Adult spotted cucumber beetles consume over fifty different types of crops and wild plants, including corn, peanuts, beans, apples, cherries, clovers, lettuce, potatoes, and more. Spotted cucumber beetles are classified as generalist feeders, which means they consume a wide variety of foods; however, they often prefer cucurbits (plants belonging to the gourd family).