Hadda Beetle

Garden Problems

The Hadda beetle was first found in Auckland in 2010. It has spread to become a pest of gardens feeding on plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, nightshade and Datura.

Identify the problem
Hadda beetles are 6-7 mm long, round, yellow orange with 26 black spots. They look like a ladybird beetle. Click here to see learn how to tell them apart from young green vegetable bugs and the fungus feeding ladybird. Both adults and larvae feed on plants.
The beetles and larvae scrape away the leaf surface from the main leaf vein leaving irregular holes. Damage gives leaves a distinctive lace-like appearance.
How to solve the problem
On crops such as tomatoes and potatoes:
- Apply Organic Insect Control late in the day.
- Re-apply at 2-3 day intervals.
On ornamentals and shrubs such as Datura and nightshade:
- Spray with PLANThealth Spectrum.
Did you know?
- Damage – the leaf surface is scraped away from the main leaf vein leaving irregular holes or strips. Heavy feeding damage give leaves a distinctive lace-like appearance. Both adults and larvae feed on the host plants.
- Hada beetle is Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata