2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The oak flea is literally everywhere. By the way, in addition to oak, she is very partial to willow with hazel. This scoundrel harms trees of different ages, but she still gives preference to young plantings. The leaves damaged by it turn brown and gradually dry out. In order for the beautiful trees to continue to delight with their luxurious dense foliage, these pests must be fought with
Meet the pest
The oak flea is a spectacular, winged, shiny blue-green beetle with an oval convex body. The size of adults reaches the order of 4.5 - 5.2 mm. Elytra of pests are equipped with long folds on the sides, and their legs with antennae are painted black. And their hind legs are jumping.
The size of the yellow-white elongated eggs of oak flea beetles is approximately 0.8 - 0.9 mm. The black larvae, growing in length from 7 to 9 mm, are endowed with shiny heads, and on their backs one can notice transverse rows of small shiny warts equipped with tiny bristles.
Immature beetles overwinter in litter, as well as in bark crevices and tree hollows. As soon as the leaves begin to bloom on the trees, the gluttonous parasites get out of the wintering places and immediately begin to feed additionally. With the onset of May, oak fleas mate, and already in mid-May, as well as in the first decade of June, harmful females lay eggs on the undersides of the leaves, placing them in groups of ten to thirty pieces in each.
The embryonic development of pests takes from ten to fourteen days. The reborn larvae at first try to stick together and very actively skeletonize young leaves. And as they grow older, they gradually creep away and begin to gnaw numerous holes in the leaves. The development of larvae takes from twenty-two to twenty-eight days in time. After this time, harmful parasites leave the forage trees and start pupating. They pupate, as a rule, in litters or in cracks in the bark, and tiny pupae develop over ten to fourteen days. Towards the end of July and in August, bugs begin to emerge, immediately setting off to additionally feed on foliage. And in September, oak fleas go to winter. For these pests, one-year generation is characteristic, however, they almost always multiply in huge quantities.
Especially highly gluttonous parasites damage the foliage of mighty oaks in forests, forest belts and parks. At the same time, they harm not only mature plantations, but also young plantings growing in tree nurseries.
As for the habitat of oak flea beetles, they can be found especially often on the territory of Ukraine. And on the territory of Russia, they are found in the European part (in the steppe and forest-steppe) and in the zone of deciduous forests. These pests are not uncommon in the Caucasus, as well as in Central and Southern Europe.
How to fight
If the number of oak flea beetles in the plantations is very high, then the trees begin to be sprayed with insecticides. As a rule, such treatments are carried out during the feeding period of larvae and beetles. And the most suitable preparations for spraying are metaphos, chlorophos and polychloropinene.
Among the natural enemies of oak flea beetles, the blue cyclone can be noted - this predatory bug plays an important role in reducing the number of gluttonous parasites. Both its larvae and adults, actively reproducing in the habitats of harmful oak flea beetles, suck out the larvae of these winged scoundrels with great pleasure.
And in order to reduce the number of bugs settling for the winter, it is necessary to quickly remove the fallen leaves and clean the tree trunks from pieces of dead bark (these pieces are subsequently burned).
Recommended:
Flea Plantain
Flea plantain is one of the plants of a family called plantains, in Latin the name of this plant will sound like this: Plantago squalida Salisb. (P. psyllium sensu L.). As for the very name of the flea plantain family, in Latin it will be like this:
Cruciferous Flea On Site
The cruciferous flea is a pest that infects the leaves of cabbage, radish, radish, turnip and other plants belonging to the numerous cabbage family. Insects gnaw out small through sores on the leaves, and the latter begin to dry out quickly. This can contribute to the early death of plants, especially if the seedlings were recently planted or the first shoots have already appeared. To avoid such a nuisance, you need to get rid of such harmful guests in a timely manner
Finicky Wavy Flea
The wavy flea damages quite a few different garden crops - radish with radishes, daikon with turnips, horseradish, watercress, turnips and cabbage. Especially badly, bugs harm young seedlings in the spring. And dry and hot weather significantly increases the damage done by voracious flea beetles. These finicks can be found not only in the European part of Russia, but also in Kazakhstan, Siberia (right up to Primorye itself), Central Asia and the Caucasus. And outside of Russia it will not be difficult to see them in C
Common Beetroot Flea On The Plot
The common beet flea is an ubiquitous pest that, in addition to beets, also damages hemp with buckwheat. And in arid climates, she will not refuse to feast on hops, sainfoin and some cruciferous crops. The most gluttonous parasites harm sugar beets in dry and sunny weather, as well as with rather uneven emergence of seedlings. Without affecting the epidermis, they gnaw disgusting sores on top. And the epidermis, as the leaves grow, gradually breaks, and on
Plucky Southern Beetroot Flea
The southern beet flea most often inhabits the southeastern regions of Russia. In addition to sugar beets, she loves to feast on quinoa and some other crops. This brave pest often produces two generations a year. Beetles of both generations gnaw numerous holes on top of the leaves without affecting the epidermis. And when the leaves begin to grow, the epidermis will rupture, forming holes with brown, uneven edges. Young plants in case of severe damage to the whiskers
