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My
Home: I am found in almost all
parts of the United States, Asia, Europe and Canada and live in fields,
crops, and in backyards.
What I
eat: I eat around 300 species of
plants, even poison ivy. I usually will feed with a group of other
beetles. We start at the top of a plant and work our way down. We can
be very destructive to crops when large groups of us are hungry. I eat
the soft tissue out between the veins of the leaves and cause the leaf
to look skeletonized.
What I
look like: As an adult I am 1/2
to 3/4 of an inch in length. I have hard metallic green shells with
copper colored wing casings.
How I am
born: I go through four stages
of development: egg, larva, pupa and adult. My egg is laid in the
ground in the fall and I emerge in spring, usually late May. I will
live for 30 - 45 days as an adult.
Fun
Facts: They can fly as far as five miles, but are poor
fliers and can be caught easily. When approached, they lift their
spiny hind legs up in the air to scare off the intruder. |
