Spotted Cucumber Beetle

Spotted Cucumber Beetle

Diabrotica undecimpunctata

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Austin

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

557 Verified sightings at Austin
262 In all 10 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Spotted Cucumber Beetle

Diabrotica undecimpunctata, the spotted cucumber beetle or southern corn rootworm, is a species of cucumber beetle that is native to North America. The species can be a major agricultural pest insect in North America. Spotted cucumber beetles cause damage to crops in the larval and adult stages of their life cycle. Larvae feed on the roots of the emerging plants, which causes the most damage since the young plants are more vulnerable. In the adult stage the beetles cause damage by eating the flowers, leaves, stems, and fruits of the plant. The beetles can also spread diseases such as bacterial wilt and mosaic virus.

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... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spotted Cucumber Beetle in Austin?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Cucumber Beetle sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 557 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 30th most-seen of the 1624 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Spotted Cucumber Beetle in Austin?

October to January

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Cucumber Beetle in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in July and August, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Spotted Cucumber Beetle?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spotted Cucumber Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Austin the best place to see a Spotted Cucumber Beetle?

Among the best

Of the 27 cities where we can rate Spotted Cucumber Beetle sightings, Austin ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Dallas (United States, about 20%).

Where does the Spotted Cucumber Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spotted Cucumber Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (557 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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