June 17, 2007
Meet the Galerucellas!
The little brown beetles on this plant are Galerucella beetles, a natural predator of the purple loosestrife plant, Lithrum salicaria, on which they are feeding. The beetles, like the loosestrife, are native to Europe and Asia. They were imported to control the growth and spread of this beautiful magenta-flowered perennial, which has become invasive in many North American wetlands. Native species such as cattails, which support native animal populations, cannot compete with the densely growing loosestrife.