Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » Vegetable Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #290276
Title: Targeting red-headed flea beetle larvae

Author
item Bosak, Elizabeth
item PERRY, JACK - University Of Wisconsin
item SOJKA, JAYNE - Lady Bug Integrated Pest Management
item DITTL, TIM - Ocean Spray Cranberry
item Steffan, Shawn

Submitted to: Wisconsin Cranberry School
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/14/2013
Publication Date: 1/22/2013
Citation: Bosak, E.J., Perry, J., Sojka, J., Dittl, T., Steffan, S.A. 2013. Targeting red-headed flea beetle larvae. Wisconsin Cranberry School. 21:7-13.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Red-headed flea beetle (RHFB), Systena frontalis, is an emerging pest of cranberry that requires significant grower investment in monitoring and repeated applications of insecticides to reduce adult populations. The adult beetles are highly mobile and consume a broad range of host plants whereas the larvae reside in the soil feeding on plant roots. Along with the growing need for effective management strategies for this pest, very little is known about its life cycle. This past field season, two projects were conducted to address where this pest overwinters in commercial cranberry marshes and to evaluate an insecticidal soil drench to reduce larval populations. Adult RHFB were collected from emergence cages that were placed in the cranberry bed and the adjacent dikes at two commercial cranberry marshes. Most RHFB adults emerged from the cranberry bed (n=246), not from the dikes (n=5).In addition, soil samples were taken from the cranberry bed, weedy areas and dikes to assess the larval population. The following insecticides were applied as a soil drench before bloom: Altacor, Delegate, Belay, and NematacC. Additionally, Belay was applied post-bloom. The post-bloom Belay application was the only treatment to significantly reduce cranberry upright damage levels compared to the control.