Flea beetle (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) species composition and abundance in different cruciferous oilseed crops and the potential for a trap crop system

Abstract

Flea beetles are significant insect pests of cruciferous oilseed crops in northern Europe. A two-year small-scale field experiment was performed to determine the species complex and abundance of flea beetles (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) associated with eight cruciferous oilseed plants: Brassica juncea (L.) Czern., Brassica napus L. var. oleifera subvar. annua, Brassica nigra (L.) Koch, Brassica rapa L. var. oleifera subvar. annua, Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, Eruca sativa Mill., Raphanus sativus L. spp. oleifera (DC) Metzg. and Sinapis alba L. Their relative attractiveness to flea beetles was compared to assess their potential for use within a trap crop system for spring oilseed rape. Adults of six species of flea beetles were found on the test plants. Phyllotreta undulata Kutsch. was the most abundant species followed by Phyllotreta nigripes (Fabr.), Phyllotreta nemorum L. and Phyllotreta vittata (=striolata) (Fabr.), while Phyllotreta atra (Fabr.) and Chaetocnema concinna Marsh. were occasionally present. The species composition of flea beetles on seven of the investigated plant species was fairly similar but differed significantly on C. sativa. The flea beetle species discriminated between the tested host plants, with a general gradient in attraction from E. sativa > B. juncea > B. nigra > R. sativus > S. alba > B. rapa > B. napus through to C. sativa. Brassica juncea and B. nigra developed faster and at early growth stages were more attractive to overwintered adult flea beetles than B. napus and therefore had potential as trap plants to protect spring rape. R. sativus and E. sativa, despite their development rate being slower than B. napus were also more attractive to flea beetles. Thus, further experiments with a complex of attractive early season and late-season plant species (multiple trap crops) should be undertaken.