Bug FAQDiabrotica speciosa
Diabrotica speciosa · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Chrysomelidae
Source: Wikipedia
Diabrotica speciosa is a highly polyphagous beetle that feeds on a wide range of crops, causing damage to vegetables, grains and tubers. It is native to many South-American countries and is a major pest throughout southern South America, where growers use insecticides and integrated pest-management practices to keep it in check.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Also called the cucurbit beetle or "vaquita de San Antonio" in Spanish.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
The beetle can transmit viruses that affect the safety of harvested crops for humans and animals. It attacks cucurbits, beans, grapes and potatoes, adding to its impact on food production.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Farmers commonly apply soil insecticides to kill larvae and spray foliage insecticides to control adults, depending on the crop. In southern Brazil, integrated pest-management combines no-till farming, rotating soybeans with maize or wheat, and using insecticides only when damage is observed.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is an important pest in its native and newly colonised habitats across southern South America, except Chile.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the roots of maize, wheat, groundnut, soybean, potato and other crops. Adults eat over 60 plant species, especially vegetables and cucurbits, but also beans, grapes and potatoes.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It may be confused with ladybugs because the Spanish name "vaquita de San Antonio" is also used for many ladybird species.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I control Diabrotica speciosa?
Use soil insecticides for larvae and spray insecticides on the plants for adults, and consider integrated pest-management practices like crop rotation and no-till farming.
Source: Wikipedia
What crops does Diabrotica speciosa damage?
It harms cucurbits, beans, grapes, potatoes, maize, wheat, soybean and other vegetables and grains.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Diabrotica speciosa originally from?
It is native to South American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and several others.
Source: Wikipedia
Can Diabrotica speciosa spread disease to humans or animals?
Yes, it can act as a vector for viruses that may affect the safety of crops consumed by people and livestock.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Chrysomelidae)
Spotted Cucumber BeetleDiabrotica undecimpunctataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bean WeevilAcanthoscelides obtectusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Cowpea WeevilCallosobruchus maculatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Swamp Milkweed Leaf BeetleLabidomera clivicollisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Alder Leaf BeetleAgelastica alniDamages trees, gardens or crops
Dogbane Leaf BeetleChrysochus auratusSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabrotica_speciosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.