Cranberry Rootworm Beetle
If you’ve seen chewed patterns like this in the leaves of your shrubs, then you’ve most likely been visited by the Cranberry Roo
If you’ve seen chewed patterns like this in the leaves of your shrubs, then you’ve most likely been visited by the Cranberry Rootworm Beetle, or Rhabdopterus picipes. This small shiny black beetle loves to munch on the new leaves of plants like hollies, hollies, roses, camellias, azaleas and more.
The adult beetles feed on your plants for several weeks in late-spring and summer, leaving behind a trail of ruined foliage. The damage is both unsightly and hurtful to plant growth. These can be frustrating pests to banish, as they hide in the leaf litter around the base of plants during the day, then emerge and feed on the leaves at night.