Systena blanda

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Systena blanda

Palestriped Flea Beetle
Binomial:Systena blanda
Order: Coleoptera
Metamorphosis:Complete
Damaging stages:Grubs on roots, adults on cotyledons and foliage

Palestriped Flea Beetles are a pest of many food crops, and can also cause damage to ornamentals, particularly when the host plants are young.

Description[edit | edit source]

Adult beetle is yellow through brown or black with a paler stripe on each wing cover, and a red head. Like all Flea Beetles, they jump away when disturbed. Grubs are long and thin.

Symptoms and Signs[edit | edit source]

Grubs cause root damage, particularly to tubers such as potatoes or sweet potatoes. Adults cause shotholing or skeletonized leaves, particularly of young plants.

Ecology[edit | edit source]

Overwinters as an adult in debris.

Host plants[edit | edit source]

Control[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]