Researchers track the flight journey of the destructive red-headed flea beetle
Virginia Tech entomologists are working to develop an environmentally sensitive approach to managing an emerging nursery pest.
Close-up view of the red-headed flea beetle under the microscope, showcasing its distinct coloration and intricate body structure. This tiny pest poses significant challenges to growers across Virginia.
With a bright red head and a shiny black body, the red-headed flea beetle hops from plant to plant like a jumping bean and is surprisingly adorable. Despite their charisma, these little pests - smaller than a grain of rice - can cause nursery growers millions of dollars’ worth of damage by chewing holes in leaves, skeletonizing foliage, and stunting growth.
Researchers at Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center are collaborating directly with affected growers in the area to better understand the dispersion of this emerging nursery and ornamental pest.
Alejandro Del-Pozo, Entomologist at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center and Principal Investigator on the red-headed flea beetle study. Photo by Alana Martin for Virginia Tech.
“We work with growers across the United States with a focus on the Commonwealth of Virginia, where we serve them directly,” said principal investigator and entomologist Alejandro Del-Pozo. “When we visit nurseries, one of their biggest challenges is managing the red-headed flea beetle.”
The initial focus of the study is to examine the inherent flight capability of the red-headed flea beetle by collecting data in a controlled laboratory setting, free from environmental influences or interference.
Much like runners use a treadmill to monitor their performance, researchers use an apparatus known as a flightmill to measure the speed, distance, and duration of the red-headed flea beetle's flight patterns.
The second part of the study investigates how field conditions affect the movement of the red-headed flea beetle within the landscape.
Using the mark-and-recapture method, researchers apply a colored powder onto the beetles that can only be seen using a UV light and a microscope. After releasing them back into the nurseries, the team returns 24 hours later to sample the area for recaptured red-headed flea beetles.
“In the laboratory we’re studying their potential, but in the field, various host plants might restrain or influence where the red-headed flea beetle will go,” said Del-Pozo. “We complement those two approaches to understand how far they can fly between crops.”
From this data, not only can researchers determine how far the beetles are dispersing, but also how environmental factors, such as wind or preferred plant species, affect the population’s movement.
Modifying plant layouts and creating separation between crop zones could help limit the beetles’ spread, particularly from older crops to newly planted crops.
Ultimately, results from this study will support enhanced integrated pest management strategies, potentially reducing the need for chemical treatments.
“Our goal is to find science-based solutions that actually make an impact,” said Del-Pozo. “Virginia Tech is committed to serve the growers. We hope the next time we visit they say, ‘Alejandro, I’m spraying less and seeing less damage.’”