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10 Types of Beetles With Stripes (Pictures)

Beetles are the largest group of insects and have front wings that are encased in a hardened shell called elytra. Species of this bug can be found everywhere on the planet except the Arctic and oceans. With over 400,000 species, the beetle comes in many shapes and sizes. Read on to see some fascinating photos and facts about 10 beetles with stripes.

10 Beetles With Stripes

Often thought of as pests, they can ravage crops, orchards, and grass. However, the beetle has a long cultural history from ancient Egyptian scarabs to being kept as pets. Humans have long a love-hate relationship with the beetle. We’ve shown you some beetles with pincers, here’s a list of striped beetles to learn about.

1. Ten-Lined June Beetle

ten lined june beetle
Ten-lined June beetle | image by Melissa McMasters via Flickr | CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Polyphylla decemlineata

Found in the United States and Canada, this beetle is known for being a bad flier. Often flying right into windows, windshields, and people. No need to fear them as they are harmless to humans. The June bug is about 1.5 inches and is brown in color.

Four long white stripes and two short ones run along the back of its shell. Larvae can take up to 4 years to develop underground. During this time, they will feed on roots, often destroying the plant.

Adult June bugs live in gardens and orchards. Their diet includes grass, perennials, and tree leaves. You will hear a hissing noise when this beetle is disturbed.

2. Three-Lined Potato Beetle

Three-lined potato beetle
Three-lined Potato Beetle | image by Ken Gibson via Flickr | CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Lema trilinea

The Potato beetle has a cream-colored base, reddish yellow wings, and 3 black stripes on its back. Adults are about 1/4 of an inch. We can find them in meadows, gardens, and farm fields from May to August each year.

Laying their eggs on food plants, they eat peppers, eggplant, and potatoes. The population of this beetle is small, so they are not considered a major pest or threat to crops. If this species of beetle bites a human, it will hurt, as they have quite powerful jaws.

3. Western Striped Cucumber Beetle

Western striped cucumber beetle
Striped Cucumber Beetle | image by Katja Schulz via Flickr | CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Acalymma vittatum

Found in North and Central America, these beetles have a bright yellow body and 3 black stripes. Only growing to be 1/5 of an inch. Considered an agricultural pest, they eat cucumbers, pumpkins, and melons. The Cucumber beetle is active in the spring.

Females will lay orange eggs on the stems of plants. When the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow to feast on the plant roots. Not only do these beetles destroy crops by eating them, but by spreading a disease that causes bacterial wilt, killing them.

4. Colorado Potato Beetle

Colorado potato beetle
Colorado potato beetle | Image by Pavlo from Pixabay

Scientific name: Leptinotarsa decemlineata

A major pest to potato farmers worldwide, this small (3/8 inch) beetle has a yellow body with 5 black stripes on each wing. Prior to 1860, they were contained to the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. With females able to lay over 500 eggs at a time, this beetle is now in areas all over the world.

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Infestations in Europe during the Cold War were so severe that some countries accused the CIA of air dropping the bugs to reduce food supplies! Some countries have even put them on stamps to bring attention to the pest.

5. Striped Blister Beetle

Striped blister beetle
Striped blister beetle | image by Judy Gallagher via Flickr | CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Epicauta vittata

Native to North America, this beetle is slender with two black stripes on its yellow base. Adults are most active in the morning and late afternoon, taking shelter in the late afternoon. It is considered one of the most havoc-wreaking beetles among farm communities.

Feeding constantly on crops of beans, beets, carrots, corn, and potatoes to name only a few. It also carries a toxic chemical that can cause blistering of the skin and mucus membranes in livestock.

6. Froghoppers

two-lined spittlebug
Two-lined spittlebug | image by Judy Gallagher via Flickr | CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Phymatostetha deschampsi

Also known as the Two-Lined Spittlebug, these beetles are black with 2 red or orange lines across their wings. Found mostly in the Eastern United States, they are considered a pest to anyone with grass, lawns, or turf.

The young Froghoppers, or nymphs, will mix their own spit (hence spittlebug) with the juices of the leaves it eats, to aid digestion. They have the ability to jump from plant to plant and are quite high in the air. The Froghopper has been around since the Jurassic Age.

7. Cottonwood Leaf Beetle

Cottonwood leaf beetles
Cottonwood Leaf Beetles | image by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren via Flickr | CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Chrysomela scripta fabricius

While it does not present a problem in forests, it is a pest of decorative and ornamental trees in urban areas. Adults are usually around 1/2 inch long and are yellow with shorter black stripes on the wings and one long stripe down the middle. These beetles will feed off of cottonwood, poplar, and willow trees.

8. Pale Striped Flea Beetle

Scientific name: Systena blanda

This beetle is tiny .12 of an inch, but has large back legs that let it  jump similar to a flea. The body is brown but there is a thick white stripe down each of the wings.

The White Flea beetle destroys crops by leaving pits in the leaves after feeding. The larvae will feed on roots while developing underground. This beetle is attracted to tomatoes, turnips, radishes, and especially eggplant.

9. Golden Jewel Beetle

Golden jewel beetle
Golden Jewel Beetle on a rock | image by Katja Schulz via Flickr | CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Buprestis aurulenta

Though destructive to wood, this beetle is actually quite beautiful with it’s iridescent green body and shiny orange-brown stripes going down its wings. Adults will grow to be about 3/4 of an inch.  It can be found anywhere from the Pacific Northwest to Mexico.

The Golden Jewel will lay eggs in dead or dying trees and freshly sawed wood or tree logs. Upon hatching, the larvae will burrow into the wood where they will stay for 2 to 4 years. This species can do a lot of damage to fur trees, wooden poles, pilings, and even house siding and floors.

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10. Rosemary Leaf Beetle

Rosemary leaf beetle
Rosemary Leaf Beetle | image by Brian Tomlinson via Flickr | CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Chrysolina americana

Contrary to its name, this beetle is not found in America. It is native to Mediterranean countries and was not found in the U.K. until 1994. Length-wise, they are between .20 to .30 of an inch. A unique metallic green color with purple stripes makes them easy to identify.

Most tend to walk as their wings are quite short. Attracted to strong-smelling plants, they love rosemary, lavender, and thyme. A camphor-like substance is expelled from their bodies as they munch on stem tips. The camphor will turn the leaves brown but does not kill the plants.