Stats

Lifespan

1 year

Size

Small

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate grassland

Range

North America

Movement

Walking

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Warning Colors

Status

Uncommon

About

This striped beetle lives on potato plants throughout North America and Europe. It can consume its own body weight in leaves every day during its rapid larval growth phase.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Chrysomelidae

Genus

Leptinotarsa

Species

Leptinotarsa decemlineata