Three Lined Lema Beetle: imago, larva and eggs

bugman

August 2nd, 2009 at 10:03 am

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yellow black striped bug
August 2, 2009
Hi,
I e-mailed you yesterday (August 1st) about a tiny yellow black striped bug I found on my plant. I found out it’s a striped cucumber beetle.
However, the tiny eggs and larvae I found on the same plant might not be from the cucumber beetle. Can you help me figuring out what the eggs/larvae are?
Thanks!
A. Smith
Sanford, NC

Three Lined Lema Beetle

small yellow/black bug and larva
August 1, 2009
Hi Bugman!
August 1st, NC
I just found this tiny yellow/black striped bug (about 1/4 inch) on my plants (it can fly and two of them were mating) and also these tiny yellow eggs and little worms (larva?). They seem to have poop on their back. They are eating my plant. Can you tell me what bug and what kind of larva this is? Pest or not?
Thank you!
A. Smith
Sanford, NC

Three Lined Lema Beetle Larvae

Dear A.,
We are very excited to get your photo documentation of the life stages of a Three Lined Lema Beetle, Lema trivittata. BugGuide has numerous images of the adult, but no photos of a larva. The larvae of the Skeletonizing Leaf Beetles have general similarities, and since the adults, eggs and larvae were all found on the same plant, circumstantial evidence indicates that they are all the same species. Another species in the genus, Lema daturaphila, is called the Three Lined Potato Beetle, and it looks very similar. Here is how BugGuide identifies the differences: “Identification Adults virtually of same appearance as L. daturaphila, but may be discriminated as follows (according to White&Day):
- median yellow band on elytra paler at sides in living specimens (of one colour in daturaphila; seems not to work with bugguide images);
- lateral black band covering 2 1/2 intervals at most (more than 2 1/2 in daturaphila);
(following characters of +/- gradual nature)
- tibiae usually yellow for more than half of their length (nearly always dark to more than 1/2 in daturaphila);
- femora often dark apically (rarely so in daturaphila)
- sternal pieces often broadly black (sometimes narrowly black in daturaphila)
The eggs of trivittata are said to have blackish tips, while those of daturaphila are dark yellow throughout.“ The fact that your eggs have black tips satisfies us that you have the Three Lined Lema Beetle, Lema trivittata, living on your plant. We wish you had provided a name for the plant.

Three Lined Lema Beetle Eggs

August 2, 2009
Thank you so much for identifying my mystery bug and pointing out the difference between the trivittata and daturaphila!
I guess I was wrong about the cucumber beetle
In my submission I actually wanted to tell you the name of the plant but I forgot what it’s called. I did a little bit of research and found the name: Iochroma cyanea ‘Purple Queen’
Unfortunately, the larvae is eating the leaves .
Thanks again!
Astrid Smith