28 Types of Beetles in Kansas: Borers, Weevils, and Crop Pests Across the State
October 23, 2026
Kansas calls itself the Sunflower State, and at least seven of the types of beetles in Kansas on this list make a living from sunflowers alone. The rest chew on corn, soybeans, alfalfa, birch, ash, oak, and apple trees. One hunts other insects along woodland trails.
The identification database insectidentification.org lists 222 beetles found in Kansas. This article narrows that field to 28 beetles with the clearest ties to Kansas crops, trees, and backyards. The order runs from wood-boring beetles to field-crop beetles, then to the weevils that attack alfalfa and sunflowers.
Each entry covers what the beetle looks like, what it eats, and where it shows up. Readers who want the wider picture can start with how many beetle types exist worldwide.
1. Bronze Birch Borer
The bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius) is a slender, olive-bronze beetle about half an inch long or less. Its larvae tunnel beneath the bark of birch trees and cut off the flow of water and sugars. Kansas summers are hard on birches, which prefer cooler climates, so heat- and drought-stressed trees are the usual targets.
Thinning leaves at the top of the crown are the first warning sign. D-shaped exit holes in the bark and raised ridges along the trunk follow. Birches in Kansas yards often decline within a few seasons once borers move in. For comparison, the same beetle is a long-running problem farther north, as described in the Massachusetts beetle guide.
2. Twolined Chestnut Borer
The twolined chestnut borer (Agrilus bilineatus) is a narrow black beetle with two faint lines of pale hairs running down its wing covers. It measures roughly a quarter to three-eighths of an inch. Oaks are the main host in Kansas, especially trees weakened by drought or defoliation.
Larvae feed in the inner bark and leave winding galleries that girdle branches and trunks. Healthy oaks usually resist attack, so the beetle works as a stress indicator in eastern Kansas woodlots. K-State’s guide to common Kansas borers covers this group and its relatives.
3. Flatheaded Apple Tree Borer
The flatheaded apple tree borer (Chrysobothris femorata) has a broad host list that includes apple, maple, ash, oak, and other fruit and shade trees. The adult is a flattened, bronzy-gray beetle around a third to half an inch long. The larva gets its name from a wide, flat section just behind its head.
Newly planted and sun-scalded trees suffer most. Larvae feed under the bark on the sunny side of the trunk, leaving sunken, damp-looking patches. Backyard growers in Kansas can lower the risk with steady watering, mulch, and trunk wrap on young trees. Gardeners in neighboring states face the same pest, as the Missouri beetle roundup shows.
4. Sixspotted Tiger Beetle
The sixspotted tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata) is a bright metallic green predator, usually marked with up to six white dots on the wing covers. It runs fast on long legs and grabs ants, flies, and caterpillars with large curved jaws. Adults often sit on sunny woodland paths and bolt a few yards when approached.
A Great Plains Nature Center checklist of Kansas insects lists tiger beetles under the family Cicindelidae. The family’s species cover much of the state, and this one is most likely along wooded trails in the wetter eastern counties. California has far more tiger beetle species, as the California beetle list explains. Readers can also view the Kansas insect checklist directly.
5. Dogbane Beetle
The dogbane beetle (Chrysochus auratus) is one of the most colorful beetles on the Kansas list. Its body shimmers blue-green with a copper or gold glow that shifts with the light. Adults are about a third to half an inch long and often sit in groups on their host plants.
Dogbane and milkweed are the food plants. The beetles absorb bitter plant compounds that make them unpleasant to predators, so they move slowly in the open. They rarely cause economic damage, which makes them a favorite of photographers rather than farmers. More examples of showy insects appear in this overview of different types of insects.
6. Metallic Woodboring Beetle
Metallic wood-boring beetles belong to the family Buprestidae, a group known for hard, shining bodies in green, bronze, copper, and blue. Several earlier entries, including the bronze birch borer and flatheaded apple tree borer, belong here. Larvae live in wood, while adults visit flowers or bask on sun-warmed trunks and logs.
One regional listing names Chalcophora fortis as a Kansas species. Buprestids usually favor dead, dying, or stressed wood, which is why firewood piles and storm-damaged trees often attract them. Ohio hosts many of the same wood-borers, which the Ohio beetle guide covers.
7. Emerald Ash Borer
The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a brilliant green beetle about half an inch long, native to Asia. It first turned up in Kansas in 2012 in Wyandotte County, in the Kansas City area. Since then it has become the most feared tree pest in the state’s towns, where ash trees line many streets.
Larvae tunnel under the bark and cut off the tree’s food and water supply. Infested trees usually die within a few years. Homeowners can watch for these signs:
- Thinning or dying branches in the upper crown.
- D-shaped exit holes, about an eighth of an inch wide, in the bark.
- Woodpeckers stripping bark and leaving blond patches.
- S-shaped larval galleries visible beneath split bark.
Pro Tip: Moving firewood spreads this beetle faster than flight does. Burn wood close to where it was cut, and contact a K-State Research and Extension office if an ash shows several of the signs above.
The pest is also well documented in the East, including in Maryland.
8. Blister Beetle
Blister beetles (genus Epicauta) are soft-bodied, elongated beetles that come in black, gray-striped, and red-headed forms. Many species are spotted near alfalfa fields, and they are harmful to horses. The danger comes from cantharidin, a toxin the beetles release that stays in their bodies after death.
K-State’s Crop Insects in Kansas guide covers blister beetles as pests of both alfalfa and soybeans. Beetles that get baled into hay can poison horses, even in small numbers. A regional beetle guide notes the same hay risk.
- Ask suppliers whether hay was cut before the late-summer bloom period, when beetles swarm.
- Inspect bales for dead beetles and discard suspect flakes.
- Avoid crushing beetles by hand, since cantharidin can raise skin blisters.
9. Corn Flea Beetle
The corn flea beetle (Chaetocnema pulicaria) is a tiny, shiny black beetle, around one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch long. Its enlarged hind legs let it jump like a flea when disturbed. Adults scrape leaf surfaces and leave thin, pale streaks on young corn.
The bigger concern is disease. The beetle carries the bacterium behind Stewart’s wilt, which can damage susceptible sweet corn hybrids. K-State’s Crop Insects in Kansas publication lists corn flea beetle among both corn and soybean pests. Mild winters let more adults survive to feed on the next spring’s seedlings.
10. Corn Rootworm
Corn rootworms are leaf beetles whose larvae eat corn roots. The western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) is a yellow-green beetle with black stripes, and it is the main species in Kansas fields. The southern corn rootworm is the adult spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi), a yellowish beetle with black spots.
Damaged roots cannot anchor the plant, so stalks bend near the base into a goose-neck shape after storms. Adults then chew silks and pollen late in summer. K-State Extension Entomology has posted seasonal updates on peak western corn rootworm egg hatch. Rotating corn with soybeans remains a standard defense, as it is across the Corn Belt, including in Minnesota.
11. Japanese Beetle
The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is a metallic green beetle with copper-brown wing covers and a row of white hair tufts along each side. It arrived in the United States from Japan in the early twentieth century. One regional guide places it in eastern and central Kansas, where it infests horticultural plants.
Adults skeletonize leaves of roses, grapes, lindens, and soybeans, leaving lacy brown foliage. Grubs feed on turfgrass roots and draw skunks and raccoons that dig up lawns. K-State Extension has issued alerts that Japanese beetles are active in Kansas during the growing season. Virginia deals with the same pest, which the Virginia beetle guide describes.
Pro Tip: Scent traps often draw in more beetles than they catch. If traps are used, place them well away from the plants worth protecting.
12. Seedcorn Beetle
The seedcorn beetle (Stenolophus lecontei) is a small ground beetle, about a quarter inch long, with a dark head and a brownish-yellow body. Ground beetles are mostly helpful predators, but this one is an exception. Adults chew into germinating seeds and nip off tender seedlings.
Damage shows up as gaps in the stand during cool, wet springs, when seeds sit in the soil longer. Seedcorn beetle appears in the corn section of K-State’s crop insect guide alongside seedcorn maggot and wireworms. Fields with heavy weed seed or crop residue tend to hold more of these beetles.
13. Southern Corn Leaf Beetle
The southern corn leaf beetle (Myochrous denticollis) is a small, dull brown to gray leaf beetle around a quarter inch long. Adults feed on seedling corn at or just below the soil line. That cuts plants off and thins stands in a pattern that looks a lot like cutworm damage.
K-State’s crop insect index lists it with the other corn beetles. Outbreaks are sporadic and usually tied to sandy fields or fields next to grassy ground, where larvae feed on grass roots the year before. Most Kansas farmers see it rarely, but local flare-ups can force replanting.
14. Click Beetle
Click beetles are slender, brown or black beetles that flip into the air with a loud snap when placed on their backs. The eyed click beetle (Alaus oculatus) is the showiest species, with two large black spots on its thorax that look like eyes. The Kansas checklist includes the eyed click beetle among the state’s beetles.
The larvae are wireworms: hard, shiny, yellow-brown worms that live in soil for two to several years. They hollow out seeds and bore into seedling stems of corn, wheat, sorghum, and potatoes. K-State lists wireworms (click beetles) under several crops in Crop Insects in Kansas. Fields converted from pasture or grass are the most likely to have problems.
15. Darkling Beetle
Darkling beetles (family Tenebrionidae) are dark, hard-shelled beetles that walk slowly on the ground. Stink beetles in the genus Eleodes are the best-known group on the Plains. When threatened, they raise the rear end of the body and spray a foul odor.
Their larvae are called false wireworms, and they can look nearly identical to true wireworms. The table below shows how the two groups differ.
| Feature | Click Beetle Larva (True Wireworm) | Darkling Beetle Larva (False Wireworm) |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Elateridae | Tenebrionidae |
| Front legs | All three pairs about equal in size | Front pair noticeably longer |
| Adult behavior | Flips and clicks when on its back | Walks slowly; some species raise the abdomen and spray odor |
| Crop damage | Seeds and seedling stems | Seeds and seedlings, usually less severe |
Mealworms, popular as pet food, are also darkling beetle larvae. More pet-friendly bugs are covered in this guide to insects kept as pets, and desert-dwelling relatives are covered in the Arizona beetle guide.
16. Billbug
Billbugs (genus Sphenophorus) are small snout weevils with rough, grayish-brown to black bodies between a quarter and half an inch long. The Kansas beetle database lists the clay-colored billbug among the state’s species. Adults and larvae feed on corn, grasses, and sedges.
In corn, adults puncture seedling stalks and leave rows of holes that appear as ragged, accordion-like leaves once the plant unfolds. K-State’s crop guide covers billbugs as a corn pest. In lawns, grubs eat stems and crowns, and the resulting dead patches are often mistaken for drought stress. Texas lawns see similar damage, as noted in the Texas insect guide.
17. Alfalfa Weevil
The alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica) is the first big insect pest of the season in Kansas alfalfa. Adults are small brown snout beetles with a dark stripe down the back. Larvae are green with a white stripe and a black head, and they feed on the tips of new growth.
K-State entomologists reported on March 5, 2026, that degree-day accumulations were well ahead of normal across the entire state. That means early hatching and early feeding. For short alfalfa, K-State advice is to treat when feeding shows on the top inch of growth and there are one to two larvae per stem. Growers can follow ongoing updates on the K-State alfalfa insect blog.
18. Clover Leaf Weevil
The clover leaf weevil (Hypera punctata) is a close cousin of the alfalfa weevil. Adults are grayish-brown snout beetles slightly bigger than alfalfa weevils. Larvae are green with a pale stripe down the back and a dark head, and they hide in plant litter during the day.
K-State’s Crop Insects in Kansas lists clover leaf weevil in the alfalfa section. Larvae feed at night in cool weather, so damage often goes unnoticed until leaves look ragged. The weevil lives across the eastern half of the country, so forage growers in states like Georgia are familiar with it too.
19. Bean Leaf Beetle
The bean leaf beetle (Cerotoma trifurcata) is a small beetle, roughly a quarter inch long, whose color varies from tan to bright red. Most carry a black border around the wing covers and a black triangle behind the head. Spots range from none to six.
The Kansas beetle database lists bean leaf beetle among the state’s species. Adults chew round holes in soybean leaves and later graze on pods. They also spread bean pod mottle virus, which reduces seed quality. Tennessee growers face the same beetle, as the Tennessee beetle list notes.
20. Soybean Stem Borer
The soybean stem borer, usually called the Dectes stem borer (Dectes texanus), is a gray, long-horned beetle around a quarter to half an inch long. Females lay eggs in leaf stalks. Larvae then tunnel down through the stem into the base of the plant.
Before winter, the larva girdles the stalk from the inside, and weakened plants lodge or snap in the wind. The same beetle attacks sunflowers, which makes it a threat in fields where the two crops rotate. Harvesting on time reduces losses from fallen plants.
21. Sugarcane Rootstock Weevil
Among the beetles on this list, the sugarcane rootstock weevil has the thinnest paper trail. Kansas has no sugarcane acreage, and the name reflects the crop where this kind of weevil was first recorded as a pest. Like other weevils, adults are small snout beetles, and larvae are pale, legless grubs that feed in the soil on roots.
Important Note: Detailed Kansas life-history data on this weevil is limited. Farmers who suspect root-feeding weevils should send a specimen to a K-State Research and Extension office for a firm identification.
Grass-feeding weevils with root-feeding grubs share one pattern: damage appears as stunted, yellowing plants, and the real culprits are found only by digging around the roots.
22. Sunflower Beetle
The sunflower beetle (Zygogramma exclamationis) is a stocky, cream-to-tan leaf beetle about a quarter inch long. Brown stripes on the wing covers give the species its Latin name, which refers to an exclamation mark. The Kansas insect checklist lists it among the leaf beetles of the state.
Wild sunflowers are the natural host, and the beetle moves onto cultivated fields in early summer. Adults and humped, dark larvae both eat leaves, and heavy feeding can strip plants before bloom. Early-season scouting matters, since young plants tolerate less leaf loss than older ones.
Key Insight: Sunflower fields draw beetles through every part of the plant. Leaves, stalks, roots, and seeds each have at least one specialist feeder, which is why seven entries in this list belong to a single crop.
23. Black Sunflower Stem Weevil
The black sunflower stem weevil (Apion occidentale) is a tiny, glossy black weevil, roughly an eighth of an inch long, with a pear-shaped body. K-State’s Crop Insects in Kansas lists it in the sunflower section. Adults feed on leaves and stems, while larvae tunnel through the pith inside the stalk.
Light infestations rarely cause losses. Heavy ones weaken stalks and may reduce seed fill. Because the larvae stay hidden inside the plant, splitting a few stalks in late summer is the simplest way to confirm their presence.
24. Gray Sunflower Seed Weevil
Two weevils attack sunflower seeds in Kansas: the gray seed weevil (Smicronyx sordidus) and the red seed weevil (Smicronyx fulvus). The gray seed weevil is about a quarter inch long and pale gray, with a gently curved snout. Adults gather on flower heads at the start of bloom.
Each produces one generation per year, adults feed under the bracts of developing flowers, and larvae feed inside seeds. When mature, the larva cuts an exit hole, drops to the ground, and overwinters in the soil. The K-State Entomology seed weevil page shows photographs of both adults.
25. Red Sunflower Seed Weevil
The red sunflower seed weevil (Smicronyx fulvus) is smaller than its gray relative and has a rusty red-orange body. It shares the same habits, which makes the two easy to confuse in a field. The table below compares them.
| Feature | Gray Seed Weevil | Red Seed Weevil |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Pale gray | Rusty red |
| Size | About 1/4 inch | Noticeably smaller |
| Generations per year | One | One |
| Larval feeding site | Inside developing seeds | Inside developing seeds |
| Overwintering | In the soil as larvae | In the soil as larvae |
Both species maintain populations throughout the state and cause variable yield loss in commercial fields. Wild sunflowers host both, and the biggest populations build up in regions with a long history of growing the crop.
26. Sunflower Headclipping Weevil
The sunflower headclipping weevil (Haplorhynchites aeneus) is a shiny, blue-black weevil about a quarter inch long. Females lay an egg in a flower head, then cut the stalk just below it. The head hangs down or drops, and the larva develops inside the fallen head.
Clipped heads are easy to spot, because they dangle from a notched stem. K-State’s Crop Insects in Kansas treats it as its own sunflower pest. Losses are usually scattered, but a few clipped heads per row can add up in small plots or gardens.
27. Sunflower Root Weevil
The sunflower root weevil (Baris strenua) is a glossy black weevil, 5 to 8 mm long, with a short, downward-curving snout. Adults sit on sunflower leaves in spring and tumble to the ground when approached. That behavior makes them hard to photograph.
Females lay bright yellow eggs near the root crown, and larvae hatch in mid-summer as large, plump, white grubs. The grubs feed on root tissue and overwinter in earthen cells near decaying roots. The K-State sunflower root weevil page has photos of each stage.
28. Sunflower Stem Weevil
The sunflower stem weevil (Cylindrocopturus adspersus) is a small, mottled gray-brown weevil about an eighth of an inch long. Females lay eggs in the lower stalk, and larvae tunnel through the pith. By fall the grubs move to the base of the stalk, where they overwinter.
Drought-stressed plants suffer the most. Hollowed stalks can lodge before harvest, and the damage shows up as snapped plants in dry years. Tilling stalk residue after harvest destroys many overwintering larvae.
Taken together, these 28 beetles show how much of Kansas life depends on what grows in its soil. Borers target stressed trees, weevils work through sunflower and alfalfa fields, and a few colorful species such as the dogbane beetle and sixspotted tiger beetle live quietly in prairie edges and woods. For Kansas readers, learning to tell them apart is the first step toward protecting crops, trees, and horses, and appreciating the rest.