1st Place: Understanding natural history of the red headed flea beetle to inform more sustainable pest management practices

The red headed flea beetle (Systena frontalis, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae; RHFB) is a native insect to the eastern United States. It has become a highly prevalent pest of ornamentals in nurseries in the past decade. They are voracious defoliators, leaving growers vulnerable to economic losses due to unsellable plants and high management costs. Bioassays to determine the extent of defoliation were performed. These showed that even low population densities of RHFB can cause intolerable levels of damage. Currently, growers spray insecticides up to three times a week to manage beetle populations. High levels of pesticides present can contribute to detrimental non-target effects on the environment, beneficial insects, and workers. Weekly monitoring was performed in order to determine the peaks throughout a growing season. If first emergence occurs in late May, due to their multivoltinism, peaks will follow mid-June and late July. As growers are informed of RHFB population peaks, they may alter their spray schedule to more effectively target populations and save on the cost of insecticides. Additionally, the daily activity of the RHFB was explored and relayed to growers. They were found to be most active midday and least active overnight. With the information about seasonality and daily activity, growers will be able to make more informed decisions and potentially reduce sprays and costs.