Bug FAQSaint John's Wort Beetle
Chrysolina hyperici · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Chrysomelidae
Also called: St John's wort beetle
It was introduced to new areas to control the weed St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum). Adults feed on new growth in spring, while larvae chew the leaves for about a month.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Chrysolina hyperici belongs to the leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
People have released it in places where St. John’s wort needs to be controlled.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae spend about a month eating the leaves of their host plant. In spring, adult beetles nibble the new growth of St. John’s wort.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Eggs hatch after roughly two weeks, producing adult beetles.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active in spring, feeding on fresh shoots.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It originally occurs in Europe and Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 27 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Washington, Oregon, California, Michigan, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Idaho.
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
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae chew the leaves of St. John’s wort for about a month.
Source: Wikipedia
When are the adults active?
Adults appear in spring and feed on the new growth of their host plant.
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/Chrysolina_hyperici
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.