Bug FAQDotted Paropsine Leaf Beetle
Paropsis atomaria
Source: Wikipedia
Paropsis atomaria is a leaf beetle in the subfamily Chrysomelinae, named for its speckled appearance. The beetle can become a pest of plantation trees, producing two summer generations and laying up to 600 eggs per female.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The species name atomaria means speckled or freckled.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
It is a common leaf beetle belonging to the subfamily Chrysomelinae.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It can become a pest of plantation trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs across eastern Australia from Adelaide to Brisbane.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It may become a pest of plantation trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It usually produces two generations during the summer.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Two generations are produced in the summer across most of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is eastern Australia, from Adelaide to Brisbane.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 51 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Texas, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arizona, Massachusetts.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in North America; introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Does Paropsis atomaria damage trees?
Yes, it can become a pest of plantation trees and damage forest plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does it have each year?
It typically has two generations during the summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family ()
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paropsis_atomaria
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.