Spotted Cucumber Beetle

Gardens, agricultural fields, meadows, and areas with abundant crops or weeds.

Adults feed on leaves, flowers, and fruit of various crops (especially cucurbits like cucumbers, squash, and melons). Larve feed on plant roots underground.

Active during the day, feeding on plant tissues. They can fly well and often overwinter as adults in protected areas under plant debris.

Risks: Major agricultural pest that damages crops and vectors plant pathogens such as bacterial wilt and squash mosaic virus. Benefits: None significant to humans, though they serve as prey for various predators.