Flea Beetles Of The Genus Systena In Florida

Flea beetles belong to the subfamily Alticinae of the family Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles), one of the 7 largest families of Coleoptera. All Chrysomelidae are phytophagous, both as larvae and adults. Some feed on roots, others on stems or leaves of herbaceous plants, and some mine the leaves of woody plants.

The subfamily Alticinae is the largest in numbers of species and pests, but the smallest in size and the most difficult to identify. Most species are 1.5 to 4 mm long, but a few are as large as 6 to 7 mm. The subfamily includes 9 genera and 211 species in North America. One genus, Systena (Chevrolat) includes 20 species in North America including 6 Florida species. At least 3 species (all in Florida), are of economic importance: Systena blanda (Melsheimer), the pale flea beetle; Systena elongata (Fabricius), the elongated flea beetle; and Systena frontalis (Fabricius), the red-headed flea beetle. All 3 species feed on a variety of garden plants and common weeds.