UK Status. Black flea beetle (Phyllotreta atra). The beetles alone are seldom severe enough to kill plants. The adults feed by scraping parallel to the veins along upper or lower leaf surfaces. 1), and about 1/16 inch long. They live underground and feed on the roots and tubers of young plants as well as on germinating seeds. Managing Outbreaks: Make white sticky traps to capture flea beetles as they jump. Eggplant flea beetle: this is a mostly black bug that targets eggplants. Larvae are small, cream-colored worms (1/8 – 1/3 inch long). Economic Threshold: Some plants have been killed or leaves are taking on a whitish cast--especially if the field has a history of Stewart's wilt. 5) Western corn rootworm The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera subsp. The bigger threat, especially in seed fields or where corn may be susceptible, is that flea beetles can transmit a foliar disease called Stewart’s wilt, Nanda notes. Corn flea beetles are small, shiny, black beetles, approximately 1/16-inch long, with enlarged hind legs. Mild winters favor the survival of this insect and thus may increase the chance of this disease being transmitted to corn plants. The flea beetle (family Chrysomelidae) is a pesky visitor to most gardens.The beetle targets tasty plants in the families Solanaceae (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers) and Brassicaceae ( including cole crops: broccoli, kale, cabbage, collards). Beetle identification Flea beetles moving into the garden will stop to colonize the mustard rather than moving into the garden. Flea beetle stress may be great on late-planted corn. Damage is most likely to occur when corn plants are growing slowly due to poor growing conditions, and flea beetle populations are high because of a mild winter. The pest was considered a quarantine pest in the EU until 2014. On vegetable farms in the Northeast, one can find the horseradish flea beetle, potato flea beetle, and spinach flea beetle, to name a few. In each of 5 areas of the field, begin sampling with a randomly selected plant and carefully check 20 consecutive plants for corn flea beetle and feeding damage. There are more than 100 species of flea beetle in Britain, they are a subfamily of the leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae). It is dark brown and has a longitudinal creamy white stripe on each wing cover. The most serious problem caused by the corn flea beetle is through its possible transmission of the bacterium Erwinia stewartii, the resulting plant damage is referred to as Stewart's bacterial wilt. in the field, as well as average number of beetles/plant. The adults are 2-3 mm long and the larvae are white with a brown head and 3 pairs of legs and are 2.5 mm long. Little is known about damage caused by the larvae, but damage bythe adults is very evident. virgifera, is a North American beetle that has established in Europe. Examine the upper portion of the corn leaves as well as the undersides of the lower two leaves since this is where beetles may be found during the day. They are mostly about 2mm (about 1/10in) long, but big bugs can be 3-4mm. Some species of flea beetles, like the corn flea beetle, will attack many different crops, but most species prefer a small group of related plants. Once … This feeding leaves gray to brown lines or "tracks" etched on the leaf surface. These eggs take roughly a week to hatch, at which point the larvae burrow into the ground beneath your plants to feed on their roots for two to three weeks. The scratches create a "windowpane" effect where the tissue looks bleached or silvery (Fig. © 2009 Purdue University. Beetles represent the largest insect group with around 4,000 species in Britain and 300,000 worldwide. Abstract. This calendar was constructed using data from Kentucky, USA. Therefore, sampling for corn flea beetle typically will not be necessary once the plants reach V5 stage. The mall beetles are 2-3mm (about 1/10in) long, with the enlarged hind-legs that enable them to leap when disturbed. Damage is generally serious on plants less than six inches tall. Photo courtesy of Frank Peairs, Colorado State University. Corn flea beetles (Chaetocnema pulicaria Melsheimer) are very small black beetles (Figure 1, top) that can scarify seedling corn leaves very quickly when their populations are high and growing conditions are poor (wet and cold).The scarifying, which appears as white or grayish streaks, removes the photosynthetic producing green layer. In seed production fields where highly susceptible inbreds are utilized, treatment is probably justified if corn flea beetles are numerous. Knowledge of your enemy is the first key to flea beetle control. Fields that were planted early may also show noticeable damage. Remove all plant debris from the base of your plants, to reduce over-wintering sites. If the sum of the mean daily temperatures for the months of December, January, and February total above 90, flea beetle survival will be moderate to high thus increasing the chance of disease problems. Small striped flea beetle or turnip flea beetle … They make small feeding scars on the surface giving leaves a gray, frosted or bleached appearance. The corn flea beetle is a tiny pinhead-sized [1/16 inch (1.6 mm) in length] black insect with thickened hind legs that enable it to leap considerable distances when disturbed. Corn Flea Beetle is a black, pinhead-sized (about 1/16 inch) insect that feeds on all types of corn. Injury. The palestriped flea beetle is about twice as large as the potato flea beetle. Adults are small (1/10 inch long), shiny, dark brown or black beetles with large hind legs that allow them to jump when disturbed. 1 - scattered scratch marks on less than 50% of the plants; plants appear healthy, 2 - feeding on new leaves of 50% or more of the plants; some leaves whitish, University of Kentucky IPM ProgramsDepartment of EntomologyLexington, KY 40546-0091rbessin@uky.edu, ContactsPriorities & ReportsCrop Profiles, Nancy Cox, Ph.D. Departments & Units   /   Philanthropy & Alumni There are several species of flea beetle that feed on corn; however, the corn flea beetle Chaetocnema pulicaria (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is the species most frequently found in corn. Note:Flea beetles transmit viral and bacterial diseases. They may kill plants if there is a combination with the disease. This must be done carefully because the beetles will jump at the slightest disturbance. More information is needed on the corn flea beetle to help improve management tactics for reducing the risk of Stewart’s disease This disease can severely reduce yields, especially in sweet corn and seed corn inbreds. The adults have well developed hind legs which allow them to jump many times their own height when disturbed. Page 1 of 2 Figure 1. Corn Insect Control Recommendations: E-series 219-W (PDF). The corn flea beetle, though minute, can cause considerable damage to corn. Flea beetles occur in plantings until mid-June. Collection administered by Photographic Media Library manager, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Entomology Extension.feeding damagePW 07 Topics: Chaetocnema pulicaria . The black and white beetle is quite small in size and can be found feeding on pigweed plants. Corn flea beetles are an early season pest of corn. Prior to Corn Growth Stage V4 on dent corn, control may be necessary if 50% of the plants inspected show severe corn flea beetle feeding damage (plants begin to look silvery or whitish, or leaves begin to die), approximately 5 or more corn flea beetle per plant are found, and poor growing conditions are causing slow corn growth. Some species may have white or yellow stripes on their wing cases. In sweet corn the disease may result in ears that are smaller than normal, or some infected plants may die. (Top) Flea beetle. Purdue University is an equal access/equal opportunity university. If control is necessary, contact your state Cooperative Extension Service or click here for control materials and rates. Habitat. Insect survival and corn plant feeding is contingent on mild winter weather. Commonly shiny black, but some have a yellow stripe down each wing case, some even come in a dark metallic blue. 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