Pest profile

Yellowmargined Leaf Beetle

Microtheca ochroloma · Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae[2]

Yellowmargined leaf beetles strip turnips, mustard and collards, a problem mostly in small and home gardens.[1]

Yellowmargined leaf beetle, a dark bronze beetle with yellowish wing-cover edges, on a hairy leaf
Yellowmargined leaf beetle, a dark bronze beetle with yellowish wing-cover edges, on a hairy leaf. (c) ncb1221, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • Adults are about 5 mm, dark brown, bronze or black, with yellow or brown wing-cover edges.[1]
  • Each wing cover has four rows of deep pits.[1]

Where it lives

Native to South America, it was first found in the U.S. at Mobile, Alabama, in 1947.[1]

US map: public records from 16 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Turnip is the most preferred host, followed by mustard, radish, collards and cabbage.[1]

Most damage occurs in spring, when larvae and adults feed together.[1]

Damage and signs

  • They chew small holes and leaf edges, often defoliating plants; young larvae work in groups to strip stems.[1]

Health risk

It feeds on plants; UF/IFAS mentions no risk to people.[1]

Control

Prevention

For organic growers, using turnip as a trap crop has shown promise.[1]

Pesticides

It's usually controlled by foliar insecticides used against other pests.[1]

Common questions

What's eating my turnip greens and mustard?
Possibly yellowmargined leaf beetles, which favor turnip.[1]
Is there an organic option?
A turnip trap crop has shown promise for organic growers.[1]

Sources

  1. University of Florida IFAS Extension (Featured Creatures), “Yellowmargined Leaf Beetle, Microtheca ochroloma (Featured Creatures).” edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN625 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Microtheca ochroloma taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/533267 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.