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Conrad Bérubé |
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Cabbage Flea Beetle
species: phyllotreta
albionica (lec.)
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Cabbage Flea Beetle Phyllotreta albionica (Lec.) This beetle, which is found in most parts of Canada, attacks cabbage and many other plants of the Cruciferae family.
Both roots and leaves are attacked by this insect. In the larval stage it lives in the ground and feeds on the roots of host plants; in the adult stage it feeds on the plant leaves, giving them a shot-riddled appearance. The most serious damage is caused by the overwintered adults which infest seedling crops in the spring and feed on the cotyledons and early leaves of the young plants. If sufficient leaf tissue is damaged, the seedling may wilt and die, especially if the weather is hot and dry. A partial or complete crop failure may result. The cabbage flea beetle overwinters in the adult stage, usually in the soil in the fields, or in leaf litter or turf under hedges, trees and fence rows. There is one generation annually, with mating and egg laying occurring in the spring and the adults usually dying in late June or early July. The newly hatched larvae live in the soil and feed on the roots of host plants, where they also pupate. A new generation of adult beetles emerges in late July and in August. Occasionally, this generation damages late-maturing crops.
For information
on the control of this insect consult your provincial Department
of Agriculture. |
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