Garden Pest: Mexican Bean Beetle
Well, my most recent garden failure is related to a known pest called Mexican bean beetle. This clever critter disguises itself as a ladybug (it actually is a ladybug species that happens to be a vegetarian), while laying eggs on my bush beans and slowly devouring the leaves thereof.
This was my second crop of bush beans. The first crop ran its course, bearing heavily through the first wave of production, resting a couple of weeks, then ramping up for a last hurrah harvest before playing out. During that time frame (June through mid-July) I saw a few Mexican bean beetles and noticed the population slowly increasing, but I finished harvesting and removed the first crop before there was any real damage.
When the eggs hatch, the larvae have no mercy: chewing away leaf tissue and bean pods, leaving nothing but a ghost of a plant.
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I am so sorry you have made the acquaintance of this unwelcome visitor.
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