|Konstantinov, Alexander - Alex|
Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Flea beetles can be serious pests and several species attack crops in the U.S. each year. In this paper, larvae of the pale-striped flea beetle, a pest of young onions, is described in detail for the first time. This will enable a better understanding of the distribution of characters among flea beetle larvae genera to allow identification and investigations into relationships. This study will be of value to agricultural entomologists, systematists, and onion growers.
Technical Abstract: The first detailed morphological description and illustrations are presented for larvae of a species of Systena (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), S. blanda Melsheimer. Specimens were examined using stereo and compound microscopy. Larvae of S. blanda are very similar to other genera of Alticinae which have soil dwelling and root feeding habits.