D3150: The red headed flea beetle as one important pest of ornamentals in Virginia

Over the course of the past five years, Systena frontalis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), also known as the red headed flea beetle, has become one of the most important pests in open-field and containerized nurseries across Virginia. Defoliation from this beetle renders ornamental plants unsellable, causing delays on shipments, increasing costs and ultimately reducing the profit of affected growers. These growers rely solely on the use of insecticides to control this pest. Information gaps on the biology and ecology of this beetle make the implementation of an IPM program in nursery crops difficult. Several research projects have been set up in the eastern part of VA, with the ultimate goal of understanding the natural history of this devastating pest. Seasonal population monitoring has been established to describe the phenology of this insect in preferred host plants under field conditions. Feeding potential assays showcased how voracious the adults can be, and may explain the need for multiple foliar insecticide applications when large populations are present in infested commercial blocks. Remote sensing has also been explored to detect the early presence of the injury from this beetle in Hydrangea plants. This poster will contain discussions of the biology of this beetle and its implications on the proposed detection methods, as well as control tactics.