Flea beetle – Phyllotreta sp
6214 In the last week, thousands upon thousands of these tiny tiny beetles have appeared on my fence and house siding. They seemed to suddenly appear out of nowhere. They come in 2 colors (solid black and patterned). This is the first year I’ve noticed them, but this is also the first year I’ve had a lawn or fence (sod laid last fall, just bare ground with no plants prior as I live in a new development). Are these just harmless beetles that have all hatched at once and will disperse on their own in the coming weeks or do I have a pest problem on my hands? Thanks so much!
Number 6214 – These are flea beetles, leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae; tribe Alticini). Some species can be very serious garden pests; the one you imaged looks like a Phyllotreta sp. – Click here for more detailed information,
Thank you so much for taking the time to identify these little guys…very educational for me as I only moved to the prairies last year. There are huge fields of canola only a kilometer or so away so this is all very interesting. I was just about to plant a vegetable garden along my fence, but perhaps I will delay on that until I understand a little more about these guys. I suspect it would be a “fruitless” endeavor on many levels! Oh dear..