Corn Flea Beetle – Chaetocnema pulicaria

Corn Flea Beetle   Scientific Name:  Chaetocnema pulicaria Common Name:  Corn flea beetle, clover flea beetle Appearance: Corn flea beetle is small, metallic blue, almost 3 mm in size and oval in shape. Its hind legs are particularly long and strong to help the insect in motion, primarily through jumping. Apart from a dark, glossy body, it has an orange antenna and leg. They have small, white-coloured larva.   Host Plants or Food: Corn flea beetle feeds on a variety of field crops, including sweet corn, sorghum, soybean, giant foxtail, and grains. Territory: Throughout North America, Western USA, Eastern USA Mode of Damage:  They are leaf chewers and produce scratches along the surface of the leaves. The larva sometimes also feeds on the roots, weakening the plant. This results in skeletonizing of the foliage as well as transmission of harmful, disease-causing bacteria in the crops. Habits and Life History: Corn flea beetle is accustomed to jumping from one place to another and therefore has sturdy hind legs. The female beetles lay eggs on leaves, stems, or near the base. The larvae hatch out of the eggs in 1 or 2 weeks and feed on the grasses and low-lying crops until it is ready to pupate. After pupating, the adults emerge from the pupa in June. A higher temperature decreases the developmental time. It takes almost a month to complete a lifecycle, and there may be 2 or 3 generations per year.