Diabrotica balteata | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
Family: | Chrysomelidae |
Genus: | Diabrotica |
Species: | D. balteata |
Binomial name | |
Diabrotica balteata LeConte, 1865 | |
Diabrotica balteata is a species of cucumber beetle in the family Chrysomelidae known commonly as the banded cucumber beetle. It occurs in the Americas, where its distribution extends from the United States to Colombia and Venezuela in South America. [1] It is also present in Cuba. [2] It is a pest of a variety of agricultural crops. [3]
This beetle is 5 to 6 millimeters long. It has a red head and black thorax. The elytra are yellow, marked with three transverse bands in shades of green or blue-green and a narrower longitudinal green line down the center. The pattern of banding is variable and nearly absent in some individuals. [3] The color of the elytra is influenced by the types of plants the beetle eats. [4] The larva is also variable and has three instars. The new larva is white and about 2.3 millimeters long. It may turn yellow as it consumes plant material. The later-instar larva may reach nearly 9 millimeters. [3]
The adult mates at about six days of age. The female begins producing eggs about 16 days later. She lays a cluster of eggs every few days for two to eight weeks, producing up to 15 clusters, for a maximum of 850 eggs. A cluster has up to 100 oval yellow eggs each about half a millimeter long. The female oviposits the cluster in a crack in the soil, and the eggs hatch in 5 to 9 days. The larva develops for 11 to 17 days, pupation takes 4 to 6 days, and the adult has an average life span of 26 days. There is no diapause. In the best conditions there can be six or seven generations per year. [3]
In Tamaulipas, Mexico, the beetle is most commonly observed in May through July. This may be a time of high dispersal. Abundance is apparently increased by late spring and summer rainfall, and flight activity increases with wind speed. [5]
The beetle likely originated in the tropical Americas and has moved into more temperate climates. By the early 1900s it was limited to Arizona and Texas in the United States. [3] During the 1920s it spread up the coast of California at a rate of about 25 miles per year. [6] It has since spread as far as North Carolina and Florida. It probably will not progress farther in the continental United States because it does not tolerate freezing temperatures. [3]
The larva eats the roots and tubers of plants. The adult feeds on most plant parts, such as leaves, seedling cotyledons, fruits, and flower parts, including corn silk. [7]
A polyphagous species, this beetle has a variety of host plants from several different families. Among its primary hosts are cucurbits such as cucumber, melon, squash, gourd, and pumpkin, beans such as common bean and lima bean, sweet potato, soybean, and winged bean. [1] Secondary hosts include tomato, potato, cassava, rice, sorghum, wheat, maize, and crucifers such as cabbages. [1]
Other known wild and cultivated host plants include amaranth, peanut, crownbeard, [1] watermelon, silverleaf nightshade, [8] bell pepper, [4] mulberry, [6] pea, beet, okra, onion, and lettuce. [3]
The beetle causes the most serious damage to plants when the adult defoliates them and the larva attacks the roots, especially in seedlings. [3] The larva is very damaging to the root tuber of the sweet potato. [3] It riddles the tuber with holes which expand as the root grows, turning into craters. [9] Such root damage reduces plant growth and fruit production, and it makes the crop less marketable. [7]
Another consequence of beetle damage to plants is viral and bacterial infection. Even if the actual damage is minor, the injury can facilitate the entry of pathogens that can be lethal to the plant. [7] This beetle is a vector for the pathogens that cause many forms of plant disease, including cowpea mosaic virus, cowpea severe mosaic virus, cowpea chlorotic mottle virus, bean rugose mosaic virus, bean mild mosaic virus, quail pea mosaic virus, squash mosaic virus, melon necrotic spot virus, and bacterial wilt. [7]
Insecticides are used to control this species, mainly to target the larvae in the roots. The mermithid nematode Filipjevimermis leipsandra has been studied as a possible agent of biological pest control. [10] Another entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae , will also attack this species. [11]
Some plants are more resistant to the beetle than others. It was noted that in romaine lettuce crops, the cultivar 'Valmaine' is resistant to attack, while 'Tall Guzmaine' is not. [12] Later studies suggest that the latex produced by 'Valmaine' is repellent to the beetle. [13]
Natural enemies of the beetle include ants, which prey on its eggs, particularly in the tropics. [3] A Heterorhabditis nematode isolated from the larva of this beetle has been demonstrated to be a parasite that causes rapid mortality. [14] It is also a host to the tachinid fly parasitoid Celatoria compressa . [15]
Other common names for the insect include belted cucumber beetle in English, tortuguilla de franjas verdes del pepino, mayatito con bandas verdes, catarinita doradilla, and gusano alfilerillo in Spanish, and chrysomélide rayée du conconbre in French. [16]
The Colorado potato beetle, also known as the Colorado beetle, the ten-striped spearman, the ten-lined potato beetle, or the potato bug, is a major pest of potato crops. It is about 10 mm long, with a bright yellow/orange body and five bold brown stripes along the length of each of its elytra. Native to the Rocky Mountains, it spread rapidly in potato crops across America and then Europe from 1859 onwards.
Acalymma vittatum, the striped cucumber beetle, is a beetle of the family Chrysomelidae and a serious pest of cucurbit crops in both larval and adult stages. It is distributed from eastern North America to the Rocky Mountains. It is replaced in the west by Acalymma trivittatum, a duller species often with greyish or pale white elytra rather than yellow.
The cereal leaf beetle is a significant crop pest, described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
Diabrotica undecimpunctata, the spotted cucumber beetle or southern corn rootworm, is a species of cucumber beetle that is native to North America. The species can be a major agricultural pest insect in North America. Spotted cucumber beetles cause damage to crops in the larval and adult stages of their life cycle. Larvae feed on the roots of the emerging plants, which causes the most damage since the young plants are more vulnerable. In the adult stage the beetles cause damage by eating the flowers, leaves, stems, and fruits of the plant The beetles can also spread diseases such as bacterial wilt and mosaic virus.
Belonolaimus longicaudatus is a common parasite of grasses and other plant crops and products. It is the most destructive nematode pest of turf grass, and it also attacks a wide range of fruit, vegetable, and fiber crops such as citrus, cotton, ornamentals, and forage. The sting nematode is a migratory ectoparasite of roots. It is well established in many golf courses and presents a problem in turf management. The sting nematode is only present in very sandy soils. It cannot reproduce in heavier or clay soils.
Rotylenchulus reniformis, the reniform nematode, is a species of parasitic nematode of plants with a worldwide distribution in the tropical and subtropical regions.
Xiphinema americanum, the American dagger nematode, is a species of plant pathogenic nematodes. It is one of many species that belongs to the genus Xiphinema. It was first described by N. A. Cobb in 1913, who found it on both sides of the United States on the roots of grass, corn, and citrus trees. Not only is Xiphinema americanum known to vector plant viruses, but also X. americanum has been referred to as "the most destructive plant parasitic nematode in America", and one of the four major nematode pests in the Southeastern United States.
Myzus persicae, known as the green peach aphid, greenfly, or the peach-potato aphid, is a small green aphid belonging to the order Hemiptera. It is the most significant aphid pest of peach trees, causing decreased growth, shrivelling of the leaves and the death of various tissues. It also acts as a vector for the transport of plant viruses such as cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), potato virus Y (PVY) and tobacco etch virus (TEV). Potato virus Y and potato leafroll virus can be passed to members of the nightshade/potato family (Solanaceae), and various mosaic viruses to many other food crops.
Callosobruchus maculatus is a species of beetles known commonly as the cowpea weevil or cowpea seed beetle. It is a member of the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae, and not a true weevil. This common pest of stored legumes has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. The beetle most likely originated in West Africa and moved around the globe with the trade of legumes and other crops. As only a small number of individuals were likely present in legumes carried by people to distant places, the populations that have invaded various parts of the globe have likely gone through multiple bottlenecks. Despite these bottlenecks and the subsequent rounds of inbreeding, these populations persist. This ability to withstand a high degree of inbreeding has likely contributed to this species’ prevalence as a pest.
Diabrotica speciosa, also known as the cucurbit beetle and in Spanish as vaquita de San Antonio is an insect pest native to South America. Its larvae feed on the roots of crops. The cucurbit beetle is also known to transmit several viruses such as comoviruses and different mosaic viruses. This is native to South America and is now distributed in Central America and other global areas.
Coleomegilla maculata, commonly known as the spotted lady beetle, pink spotted lady beetle or twelve-spotted lady beetle, is a large coccinellid beetle native to North America. The adults and larvae feed primarily on aphids and the species has been used as a biological control agent. Based on name connotation and to avoid confusion with other species also called "spotted ladybeetle", spotted pink ladybeetle is probably the most appropriate common name for this species.
Cucumber beetle is a common name given to members of two genera of beetles, Diabrotica and Acalymma, both in the family Chrysomelidae. The adults can be found on cucurbits such as cucumbers and a variety of other plants. Many are notorious pests of agricultural crops. The larvae of several cucumber beetles are known as corn rootworms.
Cerotoma trifurcata is a species of beetle in the Chrysomelidae family that can be found in the Eastern and West United States.
Gratiana boliviana is a species of beetle in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. Its common name is tropical soda apple leaf beetle. It is native to South America, where its distribution includes Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It specializes on tropical soda apple, an invasive plant species. It has been released as an agent of biological pest control against the weedy plant in Florida and other parts of the United States.
Bruchus is a genus of beetles in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. They are distributed mainly in the Palearctic, especially in Europe. Several occur in other parts of the world, such as North America, Africa, and Australia, as introduced species. Several species are notorious agricultural pests.
Epicauta vittata is a species of beetle in the family Meloidae, the blister beetles. It is native to eastern North America, including eastern Canada and the eastern United States. It is known commonly as the striped blister beetle and the old-fashioned potato beetle. It is known as an agricultural pest.
Aphis craccivora, variously known as the cowpea aphid, groundnut aphid or black legume aphid, is a true bug in the family Aphididae. Originally of probable Palearctic origin, it is now an invasive species of cosmopolitan distribution.
Callosobruchus chinensis is a common species of beetle found in the bean weevil subfamily, and is known to be a pest to many stored legumes. Although it is commonly known as the adzuki bean weevil it is in fact not a true weevil, belonging instead to the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. Other common names include the pulse beetle, Chinese bruchid and cowpea bruchid. This species has a very similar lifestyle and habitat to Callosobruchus maculatus and their identities are often mistaken for each other. This beetle is a common pest targeting many different species of stored legumes and it is distributed across the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. C. chinensis is one of the most damaging crop pests to the stored legume industry due to their generalized legume diets and wide distribution.
Acyrthosiphon kondoi, the blue alfalfa aphid or bluegreen aphid, is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and sucks sap from leguminous plants, particularly alfalfa.
Holotrichia serrata, commonly known as the sugarcane white grub, or cockchafer grub, is a species of dung beetle found in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
Media related to Diabrotica balteata at Wikimedia Commons