Our project is working! The Coreopsis beetle has been observed in farms on the Saanich Peninsula. Now, the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries wants to know more about where it is being seen. See more below from Emily Carmichael:

Coreopsis beetle (Calligrapha californica spp. coreopsivora)

(c) ecarmich, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

(c) jrozinsky, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Also known as the “Tickseed beetle”, this leaf beetle has taken many flower growers on the Saanich Peninsula by surprise.

The adults and larvae feed on leaves of some plants in the family, Asteraceae. On Vancouver Island, feeding damage by adults has been reported on both coreopsis and on dahlias. The feeding damage can cause plant defoliation.

The beetle appears to be a periodic or occasional pest. Previous sightings of this beetle were recorded on southern Vancouver Island in 2004 and 2015.

We are hoping to document information about this pest as little is known about its lifecycle. Please send information to emily.carmichael@gov.bc.ca. Please include the date and location where the beetle was first observed, what host plant it was feeding on, and when you stopped seeing it.

For more information:

https://uwm.edu/field-station/a-bundle-of-beetles/

These beetles have been showing up in a number of farms around Vancouver Island over the last couple weeks. They are a beneficial insect! The adults eat pollen, nectar, and also aphids, and the larva eat soil dwelling pests such as slug and snails.
They can be recognized by their long red body. The hard outer wings are held close to the body, and have black tips at the end.
The adults will aggregate in large numbers to feed and mate on open flowers. So far, we have seen then in parsley, cilantro, and pearly everlasting.

© prairiegirlgonecoastal

Have you seen this beneficial? What plants are you finding it on? Please add your observations to our project!