brown beetle with black and white stripes

You have no idea how much this will aid your planting schedule design and pest management routine in years to come (or maybe you already do have some idea, and you just need an extra push to put pen to paper – you’re welcome!). Record when you plant your first transplants, and when you spot your first beetle. Plant well hardened-off transplants as soon as the threat of frost has passed in your region.Īnother record-keeping tip: If you aren’t keeping a gardening journal already, start one. Planting earlier than adult flea beetles become active in springtime can give your plants a head start on the season. You can often avoid an infestation altogether with some cultural controls. There are a variety of methods for controlling these pests, including cultural, physical, and biological. If you do have an infestation, take action immediately to avoid further damage, and to remediate this threat to the health of your plants. If you’re like me and can’t stand the thought of sacrificing a few plants, you can dig down next to the plant, gingerly move the dirt to the side to take a look, and replace the dirt afterwards.īe vigilant. To scout for larval damage, check the roots of a few plants or the tubers of potato plants to look for the whitish larvae munching away, or furrowing grooves in your tubers. Potato flea beetle on a leaf showing feeding damage. Watch for holes that have been chewed into the leaves by adult flea beetles in the pattern of buckshot, or a messy lace pattern. This really doesn’t have to take more than a few minutes to accomplish, depending on the size of your garden. I take notes and pictures of what I see, so I will have a record. I grab a little gardening journal that I keep by the back door and trot to the garden for a quick scouting session. I like to set an alarm on my phone to remind me to check the garden twice during the day. Scouting twice a day for these pests is a good practice in an organic program. The flea beetle may cause significant damage to the roots and foliage of your plants. With some careful planning, preventative measures, and an action plan in place, you won’t have to worry about the safety of your precious broccoli and eggplants. In warmer regions, multiple generations may occur each year.Īnd that’s likely to cause a problem in your vegetable patch, unless you take action. Turnip Flea Beetle ( Phyllotreta nemorum).įollowing this period, they pupate for approximately 7-10 days before surfacing to indulge above ground. These insects identify their feast (read: host plant) based on smell and visual indicators – much like we do! Flea Beetle Types See the table below to identify some common cruciferous feeders ( cole crops like cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts) versus solanaceous feeders ( nightshade family including tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant). Develop a keen eye for spotting these pests, so you don’t have to suffer the devastation of their less-than-creative artwork on your plants’ leaves and tubers. The beetles come in some very fancy colors including black, greenish-black, brown, metallic, white-striped, or yellow and orange striped.ĭon’t be fooled. There are numerous species, and their colors vary widely depending on the region where they are found. Its segmented back legs are long, giving it the ability to jump.Īnd it is also adept at flying. The flea beetle is approximately 1/16-1/4 inch long, depending on the type. Identification, Biology, and Distribution Identification, Biology, and Distribution.Key features: A large and variable group. Macropters have brown wings with broad white bands. Key features: Frequenty antlike bugs which may be brachypterous or macropterous. Key features: Rather antlike bugs which have brown wings with several narrow bands of pale hairs. Many species are all or predominantly green. Cyllecoris histrionius, Mecomma ambulans. The pronotum mostly lacks a collar though a collar is present in some species, e.g. Key features: Black or mainly black species, with hind legs often modified for jumping. Key features: Mainly elongate species vertex usually with a furrow. Pronotum with a rounded collar.Ī large and variable group, mostly elongate-oval in shape, often with strong markings on the upper surface. Pronotum, the eyes prominent and the upper surface shiny and The 3rd and 4thĪntennal segments are short, the head is narrow compared to the Oval bugs, which are variable in size (4-10mm). Pronotum with aĭelicate slender bugs (< 5.5 mm) often with long hind tibia, macropterous or brachypterous. Small brownish bugs (< 4 mm) found on ferns macropterous orīrachypterous, macropters with a single membrane cell.

Brown beetle with black and white stripes