Monitoring Adult Corn Flea Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Sweet Corn Fields with Color Sticky Traps

Abstract

Sticky traps of various colors were used to monitor adult flea beetles in sweet corn fields. Twenty-two flea beetle species were collected; however, the corn flea beetle (CFB), Chaetocnema pulicaria Melsheimer, represented 94.4% of the total number of specimens captured. Saturn yellow and lightning yellow traps captured significantly more CFB adults than all other colors tested. Traps hung closest to the ground (0.6 m) captured significantly more CFB than traps at 1.2 or 1.8 m aboveground. Saturn yellow traps placed within the cornfield captured significantly more CFB than traps placed along the field edge or in the weedy border. The relationships between trap captures, degree-days, and the current field scouting method were investigated and resulted in tentative action thresholds for CFB management. Relationships between both adult monitoring methods (traps and field scouting) and flea beetle feeding injury were also determined.