Bug FAQChalepus walshii
Chalepus walshii · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Chrysomelidae
Chalepus walshii is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It lives in North America, recorded from Ontario in Canada and many U.S. states from Arizona to Wisconsin. Adults have been found feeding on several grasses, including Elymus villosus, Hystrix patula, Calmamagrostis canadensis and Bromus species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Chalepus walshii belongs to the leaf-beetle family Chrysomelidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It has been recorded in Canada’s Ontario province and across many U.S. states.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The beetle feeds on grasses like Elymus villosus, Hystrix patula and Calmamagrostis canadensis. Adults are also collected on Bromus grasses, including Bromus anomalus.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its North-American range includes Ontario and a long list of U.S. states such as Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New York and Wisconsin.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Mexico.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does Chalepus walshii eat?
It feeds on several grass species, such as Elymus villosus, Hystrix patula, Calmamagrostis canadensis and Bromus species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Chalepus walshii found?
It occurs in North America, recorded from Ontario in Canada and many U.S. states from the Southwest to the Northeast.
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/Chalepus_walshii
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.