Swamp milkweed leaf beetle
Labidomera clivicollis
A rounded orange and black beetle that cuts the leaf veins before it eats, to drain the latex out of its lunch.
What it does on milkweed
Milkweed defends itself with latex under pressure, which can glue an insect’s mouthparts shut. This beetle answers by chewing through the veins upstream of where it intends to feed, letting the latex bleed out, then eating the drained tissue. Larvae feed on the same leaves. Adults overwinter under mullein rosettes and other low foliage.
How to recognize it
A rounded, domed beetle about 8 to 11 mm, glossy orange with irregular black markings. Larger and far more convex than any ladybird, with a black head.
Where and when
Eastern and central United States, most often on swamp and common milkweed. Most often seen May to September.
Should you do anything about it?
Leave it. Damage is cosmetic on an established plant, and vein-cutting is one of the best things you will ever watch an insect do.
Swamp milkweed leaf beetle: common questions
Is the swamp milkweed leaf beetle a ladybird?
No, though it is often mistaken for one. It is a leaf beetle, much more domed, with a black head and irregular markings rather than neat round spots.
Cite this page
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Milkweed USA. (2026). Swamp milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis). Retrieved DATE, from https://milkweedusa.com/wildlife/swamp-milkweed-leaf-beetle/
"Swamp milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis)." Milkweed USA, 2026, https://milkweedusa.com/wildlife/swamp-milkweed-leaf-beetle/. Accessed DATE.
Milkweed USA. "Swamp milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis)." Last modified 2026-08-01. Accessed DATE. https://milkweedusa.com/wildlife/swamp-milkweed-leaf-beetle/.
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note = {Accessed DATE}
}