Lema diversipes
First found in Tokyo in 2016, this orange and black leaf beetle from China and Taiwan now feeds and breeds only on kudzu vines in parts of Japan.
| Where | Grassy areas with kudzu vines |
|---|---|
| Size | 6 to 8 mm body length |
| When | May to November |
This leaf beetle has an orange body with a black underside, and some individuals carry a pair of small dark spots near the shoulders of the wing covers.
First recorded in Tokyo in 2016 after arriving from southeastern China and Taiwan, it now breeds only on kudzu, where larvae feed together on the underside of leaves and adults often cluster on the same leaf.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Orange, Black
Active
Day
To people
Feeds only on kudzu leaves and does not bite; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Shows a black pronotum contrasting with reddish brown or dark blue wing covers, rather than the uniform solid orange upperside of this species.
Questions
Is Lema diversipes dangerous to people?
Feeds only on kudzu leaves and does not bite; harmless to people.
When can you see Lema diversipes?
Lema diversipes can be seen from May to November, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Antoine Mantilleri, MNHN - Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.