Bug FAQBroom Seed Beetle
Bruchidius villosus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Chrysomelidae
Also called: Scotch Broom Bruchid
It is native to Europe and was accidentally introduced to the United States, where it attacks seed pods of Scotch broom. Females lay around ten eggs on the seed pod; the larvae hatch, burrow into the pod, feed on the seeds, pupate inside the seed coat, and emerge as adults when the pod splits.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The beetle is dark gray in color and about two millimeters long.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly two millimeters in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
The beetle is used as a biological control agent against the invasive weed Scotch broom.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
It was deliberately released in the 1990s to control Scotch broom, and its effectiveness is still being studied.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It was introduced to the United States and now reduces seed production of its host, Scotch broom.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae develop inside Scotch broom seed pods and feed on the seeds.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females lay about ten eggs on each seed pod; larvae hatch, burrow into the pod, feed, pupate in the seed coat, and adults emerge when the pod opens.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species originates from Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Washington, Oregon, South Carolina, California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Colorado, Illinois.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in Canada; introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the broom seed beetle eat?
The larvae feed on the seeds inside Scotch broom seed pods.
Source: Wikipedia
Is the broom seed beetle a pest for my garden?
It targets Scotch broom, an invasive weed, and is used for biological control.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Chrysomelidae)
Spotted Cucumber BeetleDiabrotica undecimpunctataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bean WeevilAcanthoscelides obtectusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Cowpea WeevilCallosobruchus maculatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Swamp Milkweed Leaf BeetleLabidomera clivicollisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Alder Leaf BeetleAgelastica alniDamages trees, gardens or crops
Dogbane Leaf BeetleChrysochus auratusSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruchidius_villosus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.