Eucalyptus Tortoise Beetle

Paropsis charybdis · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Chrysomelidae

Damages trees, gardens or crops. It is a serious defoliator of eucalyptus trees, damaging many species of the genus.

Source: Wikipedia

Eucalyptus Tortoise Beetle
Photo: Jon Sullivan, CC BY

Paropsis charybdis is a beetle that feeds on eucalyptus leaves and can strip them from trees, harming a wide range of eucalyptus species. It is recognized by its pale creamy-white wing covers marked with three broad dark bands and a yellow-brown underside.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

The beetle has pale creamy-white elytra with three wide dark transverse bands and a yellow-brown underside.

Source: Wikipedia

Is it a pest in the house?

It is the leading eucalyptus defoliator in New Zealand, attacking many species such as E. globulus, E. viminalis, E. johnstonii, and others.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It originates from Australia and has spread to nearby New Zealand.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Its native range is Australia, though it is now also found in New Zealand.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Eucalyptus Tortoise Beetle photo 3
Photo: Jon Sullivan, CC BY
Eucalyptus Tortoise Beetle photo 4
Photo: Jon Sullivan, CC BY
Eucalyptus Tortoise Beetle photo 5
Photo: Uwe Schneehagen, CC BY-SA

Same family (Chrysomelidae)

Spotted Cucumber BeetleSpotted Cucumber BeetleDiabrotica undecimpunctataDamages trees, gardens or cropsBean WeevilBean WeevilAcanthoscelides obtectusDamages trees, gardens or cropsCowpea WeevilCowpea WeevilCallosobruchus maculatusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSwamp Milkweed Leaf BeetleSwamp Milkweed Leaf BeetleLabidomera clivicollisDamages trees, gardens or cropsAlder Leaf BeetleAlder Leaf BeetleAgelastica alniDamages trees, gardens or cropsDogbane Leaf BeetleDogbane Leaf BeetleChrysochus auratus

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paropsis_charybdis

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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