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Produce => Pests & Diseases => Topic started by: westsussexlottie on June 17, 2005, 12:22:50

Title: Flea beetle?
Post by: westsussexlottie on June 17, 2005, 12:22:50

Do flea beetles eat the leaves of maincrop potatoes (pink fir apple)? I thought they only liked radishes and salad leaves?

SOmething has munched lots of tiny and big holes in our potatoes and a small striped yellow jumpy thing is the only bug evident.

I assume the cure is Derris or Sticky card?

Title: Re: Flea beetle?
Post by: kenkew on June 17, 2005, 12:30:06

You come close to describing a Colorado beetle. Do you have a pic?

Title: Re: Flea beetle?
Post by: kenkew on June 17, 2005, 12:35:14

This is the Colorado adult spotted on my friends lottie last year. The Colorado larva look a bit like a ladybird larva but aremuch redder. I have a pic of one but it's not very good quality.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/Kenkew/05ColoradoAug04.jpg)

Title: Re: Flea beetle?
Post by: kenkew on June 17, 2005, 12:40:26

Colorado larva. Have a look out for these around ALL your veg, but especially potato plants.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/Kenkew/06ColoradoJune04.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/Kenkew/07ColoradoJune04.jpg)

Title: Re: Flea beetle?
Post by: westsussexlottie on June 17, 2005, 13:35:52

I don't think it is colorado beetle - I think what I have are much smaller (smaller than a 2 spot ladybird). I will try to take a picture.

Title: Re: Flea beetle?
Post by: Doris_Pinks on June 17, 2005, 14:15:51

One patch of my potato leaves got munched the same way you described, I carefully dug around in the soil, and found the culprits..........SLUGS! >:(

Title: Re: Flea beetle?
Post by: William O on June 17, 2005, 14:25:50

There is something called a "potato flea beetle"
(http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:Pqjd11UhJsUJ:collections.ic.gc.ca/potato/scitech/flea.jpg)

And this is the damage it does

(http://www.forestryimages.org/images/384x256/1243037.jpg)

You'll find a factsheet over here

http://cru84.cahe.wsu.edu/cgi-bin/pubs/EB1198E.html

Happy hunting

Title: Re: Flea beetle?
Post by: westsussexlottie on June 17, 2005, 15:17:02

The damage is as you show William, but the beetle I have is definitely yellow and black narrow striped from head to "tail" end.
It is too small (thankfully) to be a colorado though

Title: Re: Flea beetle?
Post by: Lizard Man on June 18, 2005, 02:42:52

Maybe a bee beetle?!

Title: Re: Flea beetle?
Post by: Whitty on June 20, 2005, 13:27:29

Do you have any peas or beans growing near your potatoes? Pea and bean weevils are yellow and black/brown striped and are about the size you describe.

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=environment:species:invertebrate&id=352

Title: Re: Flea beetle?
Post by: westsussexlottie on June 22, 2005, 09:22:12

Not this one either.
Now I go to take a photo I can't find any of them at all.... weird.
I will keep an eye out and try to get a photo.