Bug FAQCommon Asparagus Beetle
Crioceris asparagi · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Chrysomelidae
Also called: Asparagus Beetle
Source: Wikipedia
Both adults and larvae feed only on asparagus, stripping leaves and chewing spears, which can ruin the harvest.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Larvae appear as fat gray grubs with dark heads.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
It measures between 6.0 mm and 9.5 mm in length and is slightly elongated.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Adults and larvae strip leaves, preventing photosynthesis and reducing the plant’s energy storage. They also chew the spears and lay many eggs on them, making the crop unusable.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
The parasitic wasp Tetrastichus coeruleus can cause up to 71 % mortality and is used for biological control.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Adults spend the winter in a dormant state underground or in leaf litter.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Asparagus is the only plant it eats. Both adults and larvae strip the needle-like leaves from asparagus fronds.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Two to three generations can occur in a single year. After feeding for a few weeks, larvae drop to the ground to pupate.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The spotted asparagus beetle looks similar but its larvae feed only on asparagus berries and is less important as a pest.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Vermont, Kansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What damage does it cause to my asparagus garden?
Adults and larvae strip the leaves and chew the spears, often ruining the crop.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I control a infestation?
Biological control with the parasitic wasp Tetrastichus coeruleus and chemical treatments like carbamates, pyrethroids, spinetoram, or spinosad are effective.
Source: Wikipedia
When are they most active?
They can produce two to three generations per year, with adults overwintering underground or in leaf litter.
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/Common_asparagus_beetle
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.