Biology
Viburnum leaf beetles overwinter as eggs on the previous year's new stems. Larvae hatch in spring and begin to feed on the new viburnum leaves. Larvae are pale yellow to pale green with black dots and are about ¼ inch when mature. Larvae crawl down the stems of the bushes to pupate in the soil in June. Adults emerge in July and feed again on the foliage. Adults are bronze colored beetles about ¼ inch long. Both the larvae and adults eat holes in leaves, leaving only the leaf veins. High populations can defoliate bushes twice in one year. Multiple years of feeding can kill some bushes.
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