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Crioceris asparagi (L.)
Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae .

Common asparagus beetle

Description, Biology, Life Cycle, Damage, Common Names, Images

[R]Description
- Adult: 6 mm. Shiny blue head, black antennae. Red pronotum decorated with 2 little black spots. Shiny blue elytra, bordered in red with two marginal rows of 3 white spots. Black legs (*) .
- Egg: 2 mm long, dark greenish grey, fixed perpendicularly to the bough by one end (*) .
- Larva: 7 mm, grey, black head and legs; small black spots on the abdominal segments (*) .

[R]Biology
- This beetle attacks only asparagus.
- Adult: hibernates in the ground or under decomposing plants; to feed, it nibbles the foliage. The female lays its eggs at regular intervals, singly or in groups of 3 to 8.
- Egg: embryonic development lasts 3 to 8 days.
- larva; the young larva gnaws the various aerial parts of asparagus. Larval development lasts 15 to 20 days for the first generation, 10 to 15 days for the second. Its growth finished, the larva climb down the plant and pupates in the ground.

[R]Life Cycle
- 2 generations per year.
- The adults having hibernated lay eggs in the beginning days of May and first generation adults appear in June. Those of the second generation are formed in July but remain in diapause until the next spring.

[R]Damage
- The principal damage is due to larvae which gnaw and destroy all the green parts of the fronds, reducing considerably or totally preventing photosynthesis (*) .

[R]Common Names
DE: Spargelhähnchen ES: Escarabajo del espárrago FR: Criocère de l'asperge IT: Criocera dell'asparago PT: Criocéro do espargo GB: Common asparagus beetle

[R] Images

  1. Crioceris asparagi (L.) (Coutin R. / OPIE)
    Adult on an asparagus stem
  2. Crioceris asparagi (L.) (Coutin R. / OPIE)
    Eggs located on an asparagus stem
  3. Crioceris asparagi (L.) (Coutin R. / OPIE)
    Larvae on an asparagus stem
  4. Crioceris asparagi (L.) (Coutin R. / OPIE)
    Damage on asparagus The surface of the stems is completely gnawed.
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