Festive Diabrotica (Diabrotica adelpha)

Animals by Picture
Insects by Picture
Beetles by Picture
Beetle Taxonomy

Diabrotica adelpha - American Insects
Diabrotica adelpha - Bug Guide
Diabrotica adelpha - ID Tools

I found this festive diabrotica on June 25, 2019, on a leaf of a cucumber plant growing on a trellis. This species is closely related to the Western Striped Cucumber Beetle (Acalymma trivittatum), which I found and identified a few days before in about the same location. Both are "skeletonizing" beetles, which means they eat leaf material down to the veins. Texas is the only U.S. state where Festive diabroticas live. They are also found in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. There seems to be disagreement about the beetle's distribution. Also, the species has the synonyms D. flaviventris, D. picticornis, and D. tibialis. As of June 25, 2019, I did not see any significant damage to my cucumber leaves.