Phytophagous-coccinellid
Guides
Epilachna varivestis
Mexican bean beetle
Epilachna varivestis, commonly known as the Mexican bean beetle, is a phytophagous lady beetle native to the high elevations of western Mexico and Central America. It is one of few North American coccinellids that feeds exclusively on plants rather than other insects. The species became established in the western United States in the late 1800s and spread rapidly across the eastern United States during the 1920s, reaching southern Canada within five years. It remains a significant agricultural pest of leguminous crops, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region.