Strawberry Leaf Beetle

Galerucella tenella

This record describes Galerucella tenella (species). Recorded family: Chrysomelidae. Recorded order: Coleoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Strawberry Leaf Beetle - Galerucella tenella

3-4mm. Finely pubescent. Tawny with top of the head and scutellum (except for tip) dark. Front and rear edges of pronotum bare and shiny. No clear 'shoulder' spots. Antennae pale brown but darkening towards the apices. Apical sternite is bowl-shaped. A good photo of the apical sternite is very helpful. Otherwise describe the identifying features. Around its main foodplants Meadowsweet and Strawberry. It can become a pest of cultivated strawberries. Fairly common in most of England and Wales and on the western coast of Scotland.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Chrysomelidae
Genus: Galerucella

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Habitat

Around its main foodplants Meadowsweet and Strawberry.

Seasonal Activity

May and June.

Diet and Behavior

Life History

It can become a pest of cultivated strawberries.

Additional species information

Recorded status

Fairly common in most of England and Wales and on the western coast of Scotland.

About Primitive Winged Insects: the wider group

Order-level background for Coleoptera, the group containing Galerucella tenella. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Coleoptera is the largest order of insects with over 400,000 described species, representing ~25% of all known animal species and ~40% of all insects. In the U.S. alone, nearly 30,000 beetle species have been identified.

Ecological role of the group

Beetles are prominent decomposers, especially in forests, breaking down dead wood and recycling nutrients. As predators, they reduce populations of pest insects. Many species are also important pollinators of flowering plants.

Economic and practical significance of the group

Beetles have major economic significance: leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and weevils (Curculionoidea) are among the most destructive agricultural pests globally, costing billions annually, while predatory species like ladybugs provide natural pest control.

Recorded sources for this group: Britannica, Smithsonian, NCSU Entomology. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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