The adults eat leaves, flowers, and other plant parts. Although some eat a variety of plants, many species are limited to one type, such as plants in the bean family, or to milkweeds, or cottonwood trees.

What plants do leaf beetles like?

Ranging from yellow to red with distinctive black markings, these pests prefer soybeans but will also chomp on green beans, clover, pumpkins and cucumbers. Cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus). Typically red with dark blue wings, these crop pests prefer cereal grains but will also go after ornamental grasses.

Are leaf beetles pests?

Several leaf beetle species occur in the U.S.; only a few are pests in landscapes. Most adults are less than 0.33 inch long, oval, blunt, and have threadlike antennae. … Larger species may be colorful or blend in with their host and usually drop when disturbed.