About the Elm Leaf Beetle
Xanthogaleruca luteola, commonly known as the elm-leaf beetle, is a beetle species in the family Chrysomelidae that is native to Europe but invasive in other parts of the world. The imago (adult beetle) is 6–8 mm in length, and ranges from yellow to green in colour, with a spot on its head, an hourglass mark and two spots on the pronotum, and a broad, dark stripe along the edge of each elytron. The larvae are usually black, occasionally black and yellow, with multiple rows of dots on the back and on the sides and < 13 mm long. The pupae are orange-yellow with black chaetae. The eggs are yellow, and laid in spindle-like clusters of < 25 on the undersides of the elm leaves.
These beetles are common in the Western Palearctic realm from Portugal to Central Asia. Indigenous to Europe, they were accidentally introduced to North America and Australia, and are now widespread, and are serious pests in Australia and parts of North America.
X. luteola is a serious pest of the elm. Both the adults and larvae feed on the emergent leaves of the elm. Repeated heavy infestation rarely kills the tree outright, but weakens it, rendering... Wikipedia →