First Record of the European Rusted Flea Beetle, Neocrepidodera ferruginea (Scopoli, 1763), in North America (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini)

Abstract

The European rusted flea beetle Neocrepidodera ferruginea (Scopoli, 1763) is reported for the first time from Québec and Ontario, Canada. It was likely introduced into southern Ontario at an international port on the Great Lakes in early 1970s, or possibly earlier in the 1960s. However, the exact location and date of introduction could not be precisely determined. The flea beetle has since dispersed northeastwards and reached Aylmer, north of Ottawa River, in Québec, by 2003. This is about 375 km from Niagara Falls, where the oldest known specimens were collected in 1977. In 2009, various wild habitats and cultivated areas of Aylmer were surveyed. The host plants of the larvae could not be determined, but adults were swept from many plant species including various weeds and cultivated grasses: Alopecurus pratense (meadow foxtail), Dactylis glomerata (orchard-grass), Festuca rubra (red fescue-grass), and Poa pratensis (Kentucky blue-grass). Adults were also collected from flowers of several weeds: Aster sp. (undetermined species), Aster novae-angliae (New England aster), Ambrosia artemisiifolia (small ragweed), Echium vulgare (viper’s bugloss), Nasturtium officinale (water cress), Melilotus alba (white sweet-clover), Hypericum perforatum (common St. John’s-wort), Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife), Ranunculus acris (buttercup), and Solidago spp. (goldenrods). Since larvae are known to develop inside the roots and central stems of cereals, this new alien species represents a threat to Canadian agriculture, particularly if it reaches the Prairies in western Canada, where cereals represent a considerable part of their economy. European rusted flea beetle and Altise ferrugineuse européenne are suggested for the English and French common names of this flea beetle, respectively.