Bug FAQThree-lined Potato Beetle
Lema daturaphila · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Chrysomelidae
Also called: Gooseberry Slug Beetle, Leaf beetle
Source: Wikipedia
Adults are tiny, about 7 to 8 mm long, and show three dark stripes on their wing covers. They live on nightshade family plants and are known to damage tomatillo and occasionally tomato or potato crops.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The beetle’s wing cases have a dark line down the middle and one line on each side.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
An adult measures roughly seven to eight millimetres in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
They can also infest sacred datura plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found on plants belonging to the nightshade family, where it often becomes a pest.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The beetle feeds heavily on tomatillo, causing severe damage, and will also eat tomato and potato plants, though less often.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae emerge in late June or July, feed together on their host plant, and are commonly seen in groups.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Originally it comes from Central and North America, but it has spread to other regions.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It resembles Lema trivittata and Lema bilineata, which are close relatives.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 44 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas, Vermont, Pennsylvania.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants are most at risk from three-lined potato beetles?
Tomatillo plants suffer the most damage, while tomato and potato crops can also be affected.
Source: Wikipedia
When do the larvae appear?
Larvae hatch in late June or July and feed in groups on their host plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this beetle originally from?
It is native to Central and North America but has spread beyond that range.
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/Lema_daturaphila
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.