Bug FAQWestern Corn Rootworm
Diabrotica virgifera · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Chrysomelidae
Also called: Western Corn Rootworm Beetle
Source: Wikipedia
The western corn rootworm is an agricultural pest that attacks maize.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It is known as an agricultural pest that attacks maize.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It is considered an agricultural pest of corn.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
There are two subspecies: the western corn rootworm and the Mexican corn rootworm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It feeds on maize crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 38 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Pennsylvania.
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
Are there different types of western corn rootworm?
Yes, there are two subspecies: the western corn rootworm and the Mexican corn rootworm.
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/Diabrotica_virgifera
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.