Yeah this morning I explored someone's peanut garden not far from where I live. In the garden I found a sight that was both amazing and disturbing. There, on the leaves of the peanut plant I saw three henosepilachna pusillanima beetles that were busy with their activities. Two of them were mating, while the other one was exploring the peanut leaves looking for something delicious to eat.
At first glance, the three of them look similar to the koksi beetle which is often considered a good insect because it helps eradicate insects that damage plants. But don't be fooled by the costumes they have, here they are the real pests. The beetles I found are leaf-eating beetles, not pest exterminators. Try to look closely at the leaves where they are, almost all of them are full of holes, all that remains is a fine web between the leaf veins.
Judging from the damage to the leaves, it can be said that the beetles have been there for a long time. Or maybe the place has been claimed as their territory for breeding. Moreover, when I found them, there were some that were mating, which automatically won't be long before there will be successors, cute babies. If I have free time later, I will definitely come back to this place to observe the beetle's successor.
| Latin name | Henosepilachna pusillanima |
|---|---|
| Observation date | 30 Mei, 2025 |
| Camera used | realme 7 Pro |
| Photographers | @reachdreams |
| Location | Aceh, Indonesia |
| Link to original community |
|---|
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/285225723
| Latitude | Longitude | Map |
|---|---|---|
| 4.695135 | 96.7493993 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=4.695135&mlon=96.7493993 |
