About Diorhabda carinulata (Desbrochers, 1869)
Diorhabda carinulata (Desbrochers, 1869) is a species of leaf beetle commonly called the northern tamarisk beetle. It feeds on tamarisk trees, and its native range extends from southern Russia and Iran to Mongolia and western China. This beetle is used as a biological pest control agent in North America against saltcedar, also known as tamarisk (Tamarix spp.), which is an invasive species in arid and semiarid ecosystems. In this region, D. carinulata and its close sibling species are also less accurately referred to by several other common names: saltcedar beetle, saltcedar leaf beetle, salt cedar leaf beetle, and tamarisk leaf beetle.
