Abstract
The European rusted flea beetleNeocrepidodera ferruginea(Scopoli, 1763) is reported for the first time from Québec and Ontario, Canada. It was likely introduced into southern Ontario at an international port on the Great Lakes in early 1970s, or possibly earlier in the 1960s. However, the exact location and date of introduction could not be precisely determined. The flea beetle has since dispersed northeastwards and reached Aylmer, north of Ottawa River, in Québec, by 2003. This is about 375 km from Niagara Falls, where the oldest known specimens were collected in 1977. In 2009, various wild habitats and cultivated areas of Aylmer were surveyed. The host plants of the larvae could not be determined, but adults were swept from many plant species including various weeds and cultivated grasses:Alopecurus pratense(meadow foxtail),Dactylis glomerata(orchard-grass),Festuca rubra(red fescue-grass), andPoa pratensis(Kentucky blue-grass). Adults were also collected from flowers of several weeds:Astersp. (undetermined species),Aster novae-angliae(New England aster),Ambrosia artemisiifolia(small ragweed),Echium vulgare(viper’s bugloss),Nasturtium officinale(water cress),Melilotus alba(white sweet-clover),Hypericum perforatum(common St. John’s-wort),Lythrum salicaria(purple loosestrife),Ranunculus acris(buttercup), andSolidagospp. (goldenrods). Since larvae are known to develop inside the roots and central stems of cereals, this new alien species represents a threat to Canadian agriculture, particularly if it reaches the Prairies in western Canada, where cereals represent a considerable part of their economy.European rusted flea beetleandAltise ferrugineuse européenneare suggested for the English and French common names of this flea beetle, respectively.
Highlights
Spectacular and large (20–35 mm) alien insects such as the Asian longhorn beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky, 1853), cannot establish themselves unnoticed due to their large size, showy appearance, and the considerable damage they cause to trees
The last nomenclatorial change happened when Konstantinov and Vandenberg [13] established the synonymy of Asiorestia Jakobson, 1926 with the genus Neocrepidodera created by Heikertinger [14] to include in a new generic unit, a Siberian flea beetle, Ochrosis sibirica, described by Pic [15], and the Japanese Crepidodera recticollis described by Jacoby [16]
The early French entomologist Geoffroy [3] and Fourcroy [17] referred to Neocrepidodera ferruginea as the “Altise fauve astries” on the basis of its elytral punctures arranged in rows, whereas Olivier [18] and du Chatenet [19] named it “Altise ferrugineuse” based on the typical reddish brown color of this flea beetle
Summary
Spectacular and large (20–35 mm) alien insects such as the Asian longhorn beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky, 1853), cannot establish themselves unnoticed due to their large size, showy appearance, and the considerable damage they cause to trees. Decades may pass before small species are detected, and it may take even longer if they are not associated with economically important plants of horticultural, agricultural, or forestry value. Its small size (3-4 mm) and rusty color contributed to hide it within the vegetation. The lack of regular insect monitoring in agricultural lands of eastern Canada or of surveys in natural habitats explain in part why it has been thriving unnoticed for over 30 years. The present communication provides information on its identification, habitats, biology, host plants, economic importance, and history of introduction into North America
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