The red-headed flea beetle, with a bright red head and a black body, hops from plant to plant like a jumping bean. These pests are smaller than a grain of rice and can cause nursery growers millions of dollars’ worth of damage by chewing holes in leaves, skeletonizing foliage and stunting growth.
Researchers at Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center are collaborating with growers in the area affected by these pests to better understand the dispersion.
“We work with growers across the United States with a focus on the Commonwealth of Virginia, where we serve them directly,” said the research center’s principal investigator and entomologist Alejandro Del-Pozo. “When we visit nurseries, one of their biggest challenges is managing the red-headed flea beetle.”
The initial focus of the study is to examine the inherent flight capability of the red-headed flea beetle by collecting data in a controlled laboratory setting, free from environmental influences or interference.
Researchers use an apparatus known as a flightmill to measure the speed, distance and duration of the beetle’s flight patterns. The second part of the study investigates how field conditions affect the movement of the beetle within the landscape. Researchers use the mark-and-recapture method and apply a colored powder onto the beetles that can only be seen using a UV light and a microscope. After releasing them back into the nurseries, the team returns 24 hours later to sample the area for recaptured beetles.
“In the laboratory we’re studying their potential, but in the field, various host plants might restrain or influence where the red-headed flea beetle will go,” said Del-Pozo. “We complement those two approaches to understand how far they can fly between crops.”
From this data, researchers can determine how far the beetles are dispersing and how environmental factors affect the population’s movement. Results from this study will support integrated pest management strategies and could reduce the need for chemical treatments.
“Our goal is to find science-based solutions that actually make an impact,” said Del-Pozo. “Virginia Tech is committed to serve the growers. We hope the next time we visit they say, ‘Alejandro, I’m spraying less and seeing less damage.’”
