Phyllotreta striolata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The striped flea beetle (Phyllotreta striolata) is a small flea beetle, shiny black with a greenish tinge, 1.5 to 2.5 mm long, having a wavy amber line running the length of each elytron (wing cover). It is a pest of cabbage and other brassicas. The hind legs are thickened, enabling the beetle to jump like a flea when disturbed.
The minute, oval to elongate white eggs are laid in the soil close to the host plant. The white, brown-headed larva, when fully grown, is 3.2 to 5.0 mm long. It has three pairs of tiny legs near its head. The white pupa is approximately the same size and shape as the adult.
Eurasian in origin, the striped flea beetle is common throughout the eastern and Pacific areas of the United States (though not in much of the Rocky Mountain region), as well as in South Africa. Although the larvae live in the soil, feeding on the roots of host plants, they are not significant pests. Rather, the primary damage is caused by adult beetles feeding on the foliage. With their chewing mouthparts, beetles make small round pits in the cotyledons and leaves of young plants. As the plants grow, the remaining thin layers of tissue eventually dry up and fall away, leaving small "shot holes" in the foliage. This type of injury is capable of killing young plants. The seedlings may be killed if severe damage occurs. In addition, beetles may act as vectors of plant disease.
Striped flea beetles overwinter among debris in and around fields. Emerging early in spring, they attack seedlings and young plants. Eggs are deposited in tiny crevices gnawed out of the base of host plant stems. About ten days later, the grubs hatch from the eggs and move into the soil to attack roots. After feeding for three or four weeks, the larvae pupate for seven to ten days. A new generation of beetles then emerges. Generations can be continual in warmer climates, recurring at least twice a year.
Cultivation practices and the use of resistant crop varieties help prevent severe flea beetle infestations. Seedbeds are covered with strips of a thin transparent gauze to protect seedlings from adult feeding before transplanting. Good weed control and the destruction of crop residue in and around fields reduce overwintering populations. After harvest, fields are plowed to expose larvae. For quick control of large populations attacking young seedlings, insecticide sprays are the only alternatives.
Biological pest control can be introduced to fight the beetle. Many other insect species act as parasitoids, attacking the pest beetle. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Flea Beetle sighting in Kaohsiung on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 173rd most-seen of the 218 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January to March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Flea Beetle in Kaohsiung on a given day, against under 5% in April to December, the lowest months. Those are among Kaohsiung's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain a month against 440 mm in August.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Striped Flea Beetle sightings, Kaohsiung ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Nanchang (China, about 30%).
Same family: Chrysomelidae
The closest relatives of the Striped Flea Beetle that you can see in Kaohsiung (family Chrysomelidae, Leaf Beetles) are Sweetpotato Leaf Beetle (about 10%) and Green Tortoise Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Striped Flea Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Kaohsiung (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
