Bug FAQSpotted Willow Leaf Beetle
Chrysomela vigintipunctata · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Chrysomelidae
Source: Wikipedia
The spotted willow leaf beetle is a small beetle about 6.5 to 9.2 mm long. It lives in forests, near lakes and swamps across most of Europe, Mongolia, the Russian Far East and Japan, where it feeds on willow and poplar leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The beetle’s elytra are yellow-green with ten black spots per side, while the head and pronotum are black with yellow sides.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 6.5 and 9.2 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found mainly in forests, along lakes and swamps, feeding on willow and poplar.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Both larvae and adults eat the leaves of willow and other Salicaceae species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
They occur throughout most of Europe, as well as Mongolia, the Russian Far East and Japan.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Indiana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I identify the spotted willow leaf beetle?
Look for a 6.5 to 9.2 mm beetle with yellow-green wing covers marked by ten black spots on each side and a black head and pronotum with yellow sides.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants does it feed on?
It feeds on the leaves of willow and other members of the Salicaceae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this beetle found?
It is native to most of Europe, Mongolia, the Russian Far East and Japan.
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/Chrysomela_vigintipunctata
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.