Crucifer Flea Beetle – Phyllotreta cruciferae

Crucifer Flea Beetle – Phyllotretacruciferae Common Name: Crucifer Flea Beetle Latin Name: Phyllotretacruciferae Appearance: The striped flea beetle has two yellow stripes on its back, but the crucifer flea beetle is black and lustrous, measuring around 2 mm in length. Adult flea beetles are tiny (1/15 to 1/6 inch long), yet their expanded hind legs enable them to leap a distance of several inches at once. Strong flyers and flea beetles enter crop fields from adjacent fields and weedy borders. Territory: Crucifer Flea Beetle is commonly found in the Northern US Damages caused by Crucifer Flea Beetle: Both larval and adult stages include gnawing mouthparts, which they employ successfully above ground (adult) and below ground (larvae) (adults). Damage from below- and above-ground feeding can be fatal to young transplants and seedlings. Additionally, scars on foliage from above-ground feeding may make the product unmarketable, whereas imperfections on potato tubers from below-ground feeding may impair marketability. Crop loss as a result of flea beetle feeding damage is occasionally possible. However, little damage to the plant’s leaves, especially to areas that are not marketable, can be endured without affecting the yield. For instance, plants damaged by flea beetles, like eggplant, can recover quickly. Life history and Habits: Adults spend the winter in wooded areas or hedgerows outside the field before moving there in early May. Adults mate and deposit eggs in the soil at the plant’s base, either individually or in groups of three to four. At 77°F, eggs hatch in 11–13 days. In late June, adult beetles reappear after pupating for 10-15 days and reemerging as larvae for the previous 25–30 days while feeding on root hairs. The second-generation adults emerge in late July, and there are at least two generations yearly. However, they significantly overlap. Thus crops are nearly always at risk anytime they are planted. Adult beetles migrate from fields to regions with leaf litter or agricultural leftovers to spend the winter around mid-September.