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10-Minute Paper

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

P-IE: IPM - General

Integration of physical and chemical tactics for management of red-headed flea beetles [Systena frontalis (F.)] in ornamental nurseries

Wednesday, November 8, 2023
9:12 AM - 9:24 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Maryland C
In-Person
The Red-headed Flea Beetle [Systena frontalis (F.); RHFB] is native to the central and eastern U.S., and has become an important multivoltine pest of containerized nursery production. RHFB overwinters as eggs deposited in soil, with grubs hatching in spring and feeding on plant roots. Emerging adults feed on the foliage of a wide variety of horticultural crops, with the damage often leaving plants unsaleable. Management options can include reduction of alternate host weeds in the surrounding landscape and biological controls targeting immature stages, but multiple foliar chemical sprays are necessary for limiting host plant damage. We tested panels of long-lasting insecticidal netting placed over containers in spring of 2023, using four species of host plants: azalea (Rhododendron sp.), Hydrangea paniculata, Itea virginica, and Rosa sp. Bi-weekly feeding damage ratings were assigned to photographs of each plant by a panel of observers, with mean damage scores used to test differences among treated vs. untreated control plants over time. Preliminary results will be presented, along with a predicted outlook for this novel RHFB IPM strategy.