The flea beetle is any small, jumping

beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

of the

leaf beetle The beetle family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as leaf beetles, includes over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making it one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous s ...

family (Chrysomelidae) that is part of the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

Alticini, which is part of the subfamily

Galerucinae The Galerucinae are a large subfamily of the leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae), containing about 15,000 species in more than 1000 genera, of which about 500 genera and about 8000 species make up the flea beetle tribe Alticini. The division into tr ...

. Historically the flea beetles were classified as their own subfamily. Traditionally, the Alticini were separated from other Galerucinae by the presence of jumping hind legs, characterised by enlarged

femora The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg. The top of the femur fits in ...

containing a spring structure allowing the flea beetles to jump. Recent phylogenetic studies suggest that jumping hind legs evolved multiple times in the Galerucinae, rather than once, and that several genera should be transferred between Alticini and Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'' (or Galerucini in some classifications).

Description and ecology

The adults are very small to moderately sized Chrysomelidae (i.e. among beetles in general they are on the smallish side). They are similar to other leaf beetles, but characteristically have the hindleg femora greatly enlarged. These enlarged femora allow for the springing action of these insects when disturbed. The jumping mechanism of flea beetles has been studied extensively. One study looked at several species of flea beetles, including the ''

Altica cirsicola ''Altica cirsicola'' is a species of flea beetle from the genus '' Altica'', which belongs to the family Chrysomelidae (commonly known as leaf beetles). ''A. cirsicola'' is found throughout East Asia. Adults feed exclusively on plants from the ge ...

'' species, and described the jumping mechanism of these beetles to be very efficient. This study even applied the knowledge gained from the flea beetles to create a preliminary design for a bionic leg that can jump. Flea beetles can also walk normally and fly. Many flea beetles are attractively colored; dark, shiny and often metallic colors predominate. Adult flea beetles feed externally on plants, eating the surface of the leaves, stems and petals. Under heavy feeding the small round holes caused by an individual flea beetle's feeding may coalesce into larger areas of damage. Some flea beetle

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e (e.g. of ''

Phyllotreta ''Phyllotreta'' is a genus of flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. There are at least 300 described species worldwide. Agricultural pests Many species have been recorded as pests of millets and sorghum ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly ...

'' species) are root feeders. In adverse weather conditions (rain, for example) some flea beetles seek shelter in the soil. Some species, such as ''

Phyllotreta cruciferae ''Phyllotreta cruciferae'', known generally as crucifer flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. Other common names include the canola flea beetle and rape flea beetle. It is found in Europe and Northern Asia (excludi ...

'' and '' P. striolata'', prefer to leave their hideouts only during warm and dry weather. The

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

name ''Erdflöhe'' (literally "earth

flea Flea, the common name for the order (biology), order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by hematophagy, ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult f ...

s") refers to their jumping ability and this behavior of hiding in the soil.

Relationship with humans

Flea beetles may be beneficial or may be pests, depending on the species.

Pest

Many major agricultural crops are attacked by flea beetles, including various

cruciferous plants Brassicaceae () or (the older but equally valid) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some ar ...

such as

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, small, round seeds of ...

and

rapeseed Rapeseed (''Brassica napus'' subsp. ''napus''), also known as rape and oilseed rape and canola, is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family), cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed, which naturall ...

. Numerous garden plants are also subject to flea beetle feeding, such as flowers of ''

Gardenia ''Gardenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar, Pacific Islands, and Australia. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus and John Ellis after ...

'' and ''

Rothmannia ''Rothmannia'' is a genus of African flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It was described in 1776 and is named for Göran Rothman (1739–1778) by Thunberg – both were pupils of Linnaeus. Description Although Rubiaceae flowers are gene ...

'' by ''

Altica ''Altica'' (Neo-Latin from Greek , ''haltikós'', "jumper" or "jumping") is a large genus of flea beetles in the subfamily Galerucinae, with about 300 species, distributed nearly worldwide.Ross H. Arnett et al. ''American Beetles'', Vol. 2: ''Po ...

'' species. Flea beetles execute their most severe attacks during dry weather and are most active on sunny days. The larvae are known to chew roots.

Companion plant

Flea beetles can be deterred by a number of different

companion plant Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including weed suppression, pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects, maximi ...

s, that can be grown

intercrop Intercropping is a multiple cropping practice that involves the cultivation of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field, a form of polyculture. The most common goal of intercropping is to produce a greater yield on a given piece of land ...

ped in a garden to benefit neighboring plants. For example,

thyme Thyme () is a culinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genus ''Thymus (plant), Thymus'' of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are native to Eurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medici ...

, catnip, and other kinds of

mint Mint or The Mint may refer to: Plants * Lamiaceae, the mint family ** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint" Coins and collectibles * Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins * Mint condition, a state of like-new ...

cover up the scent of nearby plants.

Radish The radish (''Raphanus sativus'') is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Origina ...

es, on the other hand, can be grown as a

trap crop A trap is a device used for trapping animals. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * Trap (2015 film), ''Trap'' (2015 film), a Filipino film * Trap (2024 film), ''Trap'' (2024 film), an American film by ...

, luring the flea beetles away from more important crops. Since the root isn't harmed by the beetles, they remain useful, themselves. A number of natural predators can be employed to keep flea beetles in check, including two that parasitize it:

braconid wasps The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. One analysis ...

and

tachinid flies The Tachinidae are a large and variable family of true flies within the insect order Diptera, with more than 8,200 known species and many more to be discovered. Over 1,300 species have been described in North America alone. Insects in this family ...

. In both cases, the larval stage feeds on the flea beetle, while the adults feed on nectar and pollen; some species are even important pollinators. To encourage braconid wasps and tachinid flies, some types of flowers can be planted between crops: umbels such as caraway, herb fennel, coriander and ''

Ammi majus ''Ammi majus'', commonly called bishop's flower, false bishop's weed, laceflower, bullwort, etc., is a member of the carrot family Apiaceae. The plant, which has white lace-like flower clusters, has a large distribution through Southern Europe, ...

'', and simple open flowers such as California poppies and pot marigolds, as well as yarrows.

Beneficial insect

Other flea beetle species are beneficial, feeding on

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it conflicts with human preferences, needs, or goals.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. Pla ...

s and similar nuisance plants. A few species have even been introduced to various locations as

biological control agent Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or plants by using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or ot ...

s against some weeds. One important example is in the control of leafy spurge (''

Euphorbia virgata ''Euphorbia'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family Euphorbiaceae. Euphorbias range from tiny annual plants to large and long-lived trees, with perhaps the tallest being '' Euphorbia ampliphyl ...

''), an invasive weed in the United States. It has a

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...

and is generally avoided by

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. These more broadly also encompass animals that eat ...

s. Flea beetles of the genus '' Aphthona'' have been successfully introduced to control this plant.

Selected genera

This genus list is not complete. It is also partially from

ITIS The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is an American partnership of federal agencies designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ITIS was originally formed in 1996 as an interagenc ...

and might include genera placed elsewhere in other sources. * '' Acallepitrix'' J.Bechyné, 1956 * '' Acrocyum'' Jacoby, 1885 * '' Afroaltica'' Biondi & D'Alessandro, 2007 * ''

Agasicles Agasicles, alternatively spelled Agesicles or Hegesicles (), was a king of Sparta, the 13th of the line of Procles. Son of Archidamus I, Louis Moréri (1732)Le grand dictionnaire historique: ou le mélange curieux de l'histoire sacrée et profa ...

'' Jacoby, 1904 * ''

'' Geoffroy, 1762 * '' Andersonoplatus'' Linzmeier & Konstantinov, 2018 * '' Anthobiodes'' Weise, 1887 * '' Aphthona'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * '' Aphthonoides'' Jacoby, 1885 * '' Apteropeda'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * '' Argopistes'' Motschulsky, 1860 * '' Argopus'' Fischer von Waldheim, 1824 * '' Arrhenocoela'' Foudras, 1861 * ''

Asphaera ''Asphaera'' is a genus of flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, containing some 130 species, found in North America, Central America, and the Neotropical Realm, Neotropics. Selected species * ''Asphaera abdominalis'' (Chevrolat, 1835) * '' ...

'' Duponchel & Chevrolat, 1842 * '' Aulacothorax'' Boheman, 1858 * ''

Batophila ''Batophila'' is a genus of beetles belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, containing some 30 species in the Palaearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to t ...

'' Foudras, 1860 * '' Blepharida'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * '' Capraita'' J.Bechyné, 1957 * '' Cerataltica'' Crotch, 1873 * '' Chaetocnema'' Stephens, 1831 * '' Cornulactica'' Bechyné, 1955 * '' Crepidodera'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * †'' Crepidocnema'' Moskeyko ''et al''., 2010 * '' Derocrepis'' Weise, 1886 * ''

Dibolia ''Dibolia'' is a genus of flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. There are some 60 described species worldwide. Selected species * '' Dibolia alpestris'' Mohr, 1981 * '' Dibolia borealis'' Chevrolat in Guérin-Méneville, 1834 (northern pl ...

'' Latreille, 1829 * '' Disonycha'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * '' Distigmoptera'' Blake, 1943 * '' Dysphenges'' Horn, 1894 * '' Epitrix'' Foudras in Mulsant, 1859 * '' Glenidion'' H.Clark, 1860 * '' Glyptina'' J.L.LeConte, 1859 * '' Hemiglyptus'' Horn, 1889 * '' Hemiphrynus'' Horn, 1889 * '' Hermaeophaga'' Foudras, 1860 * '' Heyrovskya'' Madar & Madar, 1968 * '' Hippuriphila'' Foudras in Mulsant, 1859 * '' Hornaltica'' Barber, 1941 * '' Kashmirobia'' Konstantinov & Prathapan, 2006 * '' Kuschelina'' J.Bechyné, 1951 * ''

Lanka Lanka (; ) is the name given in Hindu epics to the island fortress capital of the legendary Rakshasa king Ravana in the epics of the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata''. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks kn ...

'' Maulik, 1926 * ''

Longitarsus ''Longitarsus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most speciose genus of flea beetles, comprising over 700 species, and has a cosmopolitan distribution. See also * List of Longitarsus species This is a partial list o ...

'' Berthold, 1827 * '' Luperaltica'' Crotch, 1873 * '' Lupraea'' Jacoby, 1885 * '' Lysathia'' J.Bechyné, 1957 * '' Lythraria'' Bedel, 1897 * '' Mantura'' Stephens, 1831 * '' Margaridisa'' J.Bechyné, 1958 * '' Minota'' Kutschera, 1859 * '' Mniophila'' Stephens, 1831 * '' Mniophilosoma'' Wollaston, 1854 * '' Monomacra'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * ''

Neocrepidodera ''Neocrepidodera'' is a genus of flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, containing some 100 described species worldwide.

'' Heikertinger, 1911 * '' Nesaecrepida'' Blake, 1964 * '' Nisotra'' Baly, 1864 * '' Ochrosis'' Foudras, 1861 * '' Oedionychis'' Latreille, 1829 * '' Omophoita'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * '' Orestia'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * '' Pachyonychis'' H.Clark, 1860 * '' Pachyonychus'' F.E.Melsheimer, 1847 * '' Palaeothona'' Jacoby, 1885 * '' Parchicola'' J.Bechyné and B.Springlová de Bechyné, 1975 * '' Phydanis'' Horn, 1889 * ''

'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * '' Podagrica'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * '' Pseudodibolia'' Jacoby, 1891 * '' Pseudolampsis'' Horn, 1889 * '' Pseudorthygia'' Csiki in Heikertinger and Csiki, 1940 * '' Psylliodes'' Berthold, 1827 * '' Sphaeroderma'' Stephens, 1831 * '' Strabala'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * '' Stuckenbergiana'' Scherer, 1963 * '' Syphrea'' Baly, 1876 * '' Systena'' Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 * '' Trichaltica'' Harold, 1876 * '' Ugandaltica'' D'Alessandro & Biondi, 2018 Apteropeda.orbiculata.jpg, '' Apteropeda orbiculata Argopistes coccinelliformis01.jpg, ''

Argopistes coccinelliformis ''Argopistes'' is a genus of flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. There are about 50 described species in ''Argopistes''. They are found worldwide. Selected species * ''Argopistes coccinea'' (Montrouzier, 1861) * ''Argopistes coccinellifor ...

'' amid feeding damage on ''

Osmanthus ''Osmanthus'' is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae. Most of the species are native to eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, etc.) with a few species from the Caucasus, New Cale ...

× fortunei'' Batophila rubi - 2014-05-16.webm, ''

Batophila rubi ''Batophila rubi '' is a species of leaf beetle native to Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean ...

'' Crepidodera.aurata cropped.jpg, '' Crepidodera aurata'' Podagrica.fuscicornis.jpg, '' Podagrica fuscicornis'' Altica.lythri.jpg, '' Altica lythri''. Note thick hindleg femora Eight-spotted flea beetle (Omophoita cyanipennis octomaculata).JPG, Eight-spotted flea beetle '' Omophoita cyanipennis''

References

External links

Flea beetle description at Kansas State University

- identification of

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...

flea beetle genera, along with morphology, host plant information, and literature references
"Flea Beetles"
by W.S. Cranshaw, Colorado State University Extension entomologist and professor {{Taxonbar, from=Q373530 Articles containing video clips