Leaf Beetles

Many people noticed a lot of lacy looking leaves in their cottonwood and elm trees this summer.  Both trees have a pest called a leaf beetle, though not the same leaf beetle.  So, what’s up with leaf beetles?

The term “leaf beetle” refers to a large group of related beetles.  Worldwide, there are likely over 40,000 species of leaf beetles, including some notable agricultural pests like flea beetles and the Colorado potato beetle.  While those can be seriously damaging to crops, tree leaf beetles are much less of a worry.

Both the larvae and adults of cottonwood and elm leaf beetles feed on green leaf tissue.  While this does hurt the tree somewhat, trees can usually absorb a significant amount of damage (20% leaf area loss) before health is really impacted.  Aesthetic impacts happen at a much lower level of damage, though, as the fed-on leaves end up looking tattered and detract from the landscape appearance.

If the damage is just too much to bear, there are control options.  Since both trees are quite large at maturity, we don’t recommend contact spray insecticides – there will be a lot of chemical drifting off site, potentially damaging beneficial insects.  Instead, we recommend systemic insecticides which can be applied early in the season, before the insects arrive, and the chemical protection will be in place when they do.  Legacy Tree Company can help you determine if control is warranted and the best approach to achieving that.

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