Agriculture

Flea Beetles

  • Flea Beetle: Epitrix fuscula, Epitrix hirtipennis, Systena blanda
Updated: 04/2010

Tools

PestManage: a decision support tool to view and compare pest management options

Description of the Pest

Flea beetles are present throughout the growing season but are primarily a concern in the month following transplanting.

The adult Epitrix fuscula flea beetle is a small (2 mm), black beetle, whereas E. hirtipennis is brown. Like all flea beetle adults, their hind legs are thickened, allowing them to jump rapidly. Eggs are laid in the soil near the bases of plants. They hatch in about one week and larvae remain in the soil and feed on roots for 2 to 3 weeks. They pupate in the soil and after 7 to 10 days, adults emerge and move to the plant where they feed on leaves for 2 months or more.

The adult palestriped flea beetle, Systena blanda, is about 0.12 inch (3 mm) long and has a shiny brown body with a broad white stripe down each wing.

Most flea beetles overwinter in the adult stage in plant debris in the field, on field margins, and in adjacent areas. Adults emerge in spring to feed and lay eggs.

Damage

Flea beetle adults can be very destructive to young plants, often defoliating and killing them. They cause the greatest damage by feeding on cotyledons, stems, and foliage. Older leaves and plants are usually more tolerant of their feeding.

Management

The key to preventing flea beetle damage is early detection.

Cultural Control

Methods that may provide partial control of these beetles, which can be especially important in organically certified crops, include the use of trap crops such as Chinese Southern Giant Mustard (Brassica juncea var. crispifolia), interplanting with radishes ('Chinese Daikon' or 'Snow Belle'), the use of row covers, white or yellow stick traps, and good field sanitation. For more information on cultural control options, see Flea Beetle: Organic Control Options. (PDF)

Organically Acceptable Methods

Cultural controls and sprays of PyGanic or the Entrust formulation of spinosad are acceptable for use on an organically certified crop.

Monitoring and Treatment Decisions

Monitor young transplants every few days the first month after planting for damage because flea beetles can move quickly into a field. If damage is detected, consider a treatment to prevent loss of plants.

Pesticides and Natural Enemy Releases

Not all registered pesticides are listed. The following are ranked by their IPM value, with the most effective and least harmful to natural enemies, honey bees, and the environment listed at the top of the table. When choosing a pesticide, consider information related to water and air quality, resistance management, and the pesticide's properties and application timing. Use PestManage to compare summarized management options for different pests in the same crop. Always carefully read the label of the product being used and take all necessary precautions when handling pesticides.

Rank Active ingredient Example trade name Group Group Order MoA 1 Amount per acre REI (hours) ‡ PHI (days) ‡ Comments Selectivity 2 Bees 3 Predatory mites 4 Predators 5 Parasitoids 5 Residue duration 6 Leaching(fish) 7 Adsorbed runoff(fish) 8 Solution runoff(human) 9 Leaching(human) 10 Solution runoff(human) 11 Last updated 12
D
Asana XL Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) 8

3A

5.8–9.6 fl oz 12 7 Highly toxic to bees; do not spray direc... broad I high moderate high moderate high intermediate extra high low intermediate 05/2016
C
Pounce 25 WP Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) 8

3A

6.4–9.6 oz 12 3 Highly toxic to bees; do not spray direc... broad I low high high long intermediate low extra high very low intermediate 05/2016
E
PyGanic EC 1.4 II # Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) 8

3A

Label rates 12 0 Short residual material; always buffer p... broad I — moderate moderate short low low high very low intermediate 05/2016
A
Entrust # Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) 8

5

1.25–2.5 oz 4 1 Early treatment provides only about 50%... narrow II moderate moderate 13 low/moderate short to moderate very low low low very low low 05/2016
A
Success Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) 8

5

4–8 oz 4 1 Early treatment provides only about 50%... narrow II moderate moderate 13 low/moderate short to moderate very low low low very low low 05/2016
B
Actara Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) 8

4A

2–3 oz 12 0 Highly toxic to bees; do not spray direc... narrow I — 14 — moderate moderate very low very low low high high 05/2016
B
Platinum Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) 8

4A

5–11 fl oz 12 30 Highly toxic to bees; do not spray direc... narrow I — 14 — moderate moderate very low very low low high high 05/2016
—
No information.
I
Do not apply or allow to drift to plants that are flowering including weeds. Do not allow pesticide to contaminate water accessible to bees including puddles.
II
Do not apply or allow to drift to plants that are flowering including weeds, except when the application is made between sunset and midnight if allowed by the pesticide label and regulations. Do not allow pesticide to contaminate water accessible to bees including puddles.
III
No bee precaution, except when required by the pesticide label or regulations.
  • ‡ a b Restricted entry interval (REI) is the number of hours (unless otherwise noted) from treatment until the treated area can be safely entered without personal protective equipment. Preharvest interval (PHI) is the number of days from treatment to harvest. In some cases, the REI exceeds the PHI. The longer of the two intervals is the minimum time that must elapse before harvest.
  • # a b  Acceptable for use on certified organic crops. Check with your certifier to confirm before application.
  • 1 ↩ Group numbers for insecticides and miticides are assigned by the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC). Insecticides with unknown modes of action are assigned mode-of-action group numbers (MoAs) that begin with UN. Rotate pesticides with a different mode-of-action group number, and do not use products with the same mode-of-action group number more than twice per season to help prevent the development of resistance. For example, the organophosphates have a group number of 1B; insecticides with a 1B group number should be alternated with insecticides that have a group number other than 1B.
  • 2 ↩ Range of insect and mite groups affected by a pesticide. Broad means the pesticide affects most groups of insects and mites; narrow means the pesticide affects only a few specific groups.
  • 3 ↩ Risk of harm to honey bees. For more information, see Bee Precaution Pesticide Ratings.
  • 4 ↩ Risk of harm to predatory mites. Toxicities are generally to western predatory mite, Galendromus occidentalis. Where differences have been measured in toxicity of the pesticide-resistant strain versus the native strain, these are listed as pesticide-resistant strain or native strain.
  • 5 a b Risk of harm to parasitoids and general predators. Toxicities are averages of reported effects and should be used only as a general guide. Actual toxicity of a specific insecticide depends on factors including the application rate, environmental conditions, and the life stage and species of a parasitoid or predator.
  • 6 ↩ Length of time residue affects natural enemies. Short means hours to days; moderate means days to 2 weeks; and long means many weeks or months.
  • 7 ↩ Risk of harm to fish from leaching, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
  • 8 ↩ Risk of harm to fish from adsorbed runoff, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
  • 9 ↩ Risk of harm to fish from solution runoff, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
  • 10 ↩ Risk of harm to humans from leaching, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
  • 11 ↩ Risk of harm to humans from solution runoff, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
  • 12 ↩ Date information was last updated in the UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines.
  • 13 a b Toxic to some natural enemies (lacewing and syrphid fly larvae, predatory beetles, and thrips) when sprayed and up to 5 to 7 days after.
  • 14 a b May cause an increase in spider mite numbers.
UC Peer Reviewed Logo

UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Eggplant
UC ANR Publication 3475

J.L. Aguiar, UC Cooperative Extension Riverside County

M.J. Jimenez (emeritus), UC Cooperative Extension Tulare County

P.B. Goodell (emeritus), UC IPM and Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier

Acknowledgement for Contributions to Invertebrates

R.H. Molinar (emeritus), UC Cooperative Extension Fresno County

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