Aulacophora nigripennis
This small leaf beetle chews a circular trench into a leaf before feeding inside the ring, a habit that stops the plant's defensive latex from reaching its meal.
| Where | Farmland and gardens across East Asia |
|---|---|
| Size | 6 to 7 mm body length |
| When | April to November |
This leaf beetle is only 6 to 7 millimetres long, with a glossy black body set off by a bright orange head and thorax. The legs and antennae are mostly dark, though the basal antenna segments stay pale.
Adults feed mainly on Trichosanthes and other cucurbit vines, cutting a circular trench in a leaf before eating the tissue inside it to disable the plant's sap defenses. It overwinters as an adult and is active from spring into late autumn across farmland in Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
Black, Orange
Active
Day
To people
Considered a farmland pest but harmless to people; does not sting or bite.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Larger at 8 to 10 millimetres, with bold yellow or white stripes running down the black elytra, unlike the plain, unstriped, orange-headed body of this smaller species.
Questions
Is Aulacophora nigripennis dangerous to people?
Considered a farmland pest but harmless to people; does not sting or bite.
When can you see Aulacophora nigripennis?
Aulacophora nigripennis can be seen from April to November, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by konoda, CC0, iNaturalist Licence
Report a mistake in this entry
Beetles›Leaf beetles›Aulacophora
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.