Aphthona flava

Aphthona flava is a beetle of the genus Aphthona. It is native to Eurasia, and has been introduced into North America as a biocontrol agent for leafy spurge. Adults are brown and difficult to distinguish in the field from A. cyparissiae and A. nigriscutis. A. flava is still the dominant beetle at some Manitoba release sites, but it is relatively scarce in North Dakota and Minnesota.[1] Besides Manitoba, it is widespread in Hungary and Italy.[2]

Aphthona flava
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Chrysomelidae
Genus: Aphthona
Species:
A. flava
Binomial name
Aphthona flava
(L. P. Guillebeau, 1895)

Ecology

Larvae

The larvae is active from July to early spring of next year. When they are young, they feed on the hairs of the roots. As soon as they grow up they become bigger and start eating bigger roots. The larvae size is tiny, and are of white colour and are worm-like.

Pupa

Starting from late spring to early summer the pupa stage begins in the soil.

Adult

From June to through early fall, if the temperature is right, the adults will come out. They look like flea beetles, and behave like ones too. Their size is 3.4 mm for males, and 3.6 mm for females.[2]

References
  1. R. Roehrdanz; D. Olson; G. Fauske; R. Bourchier; A. Cortilet; S. Sears (2009). "New DNA markers reveal presence of Aphthona species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) believed to have failed to establish after release into leafy spurge" (PDF). Biological Control. 49 (1): 1–5. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2008.12.008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21.
  2. International distribution and ecology


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