Adaptation of flea beetles to Brassicaceae: host plant associations and geographic distribution of Psylliodes Latreille and Phyllotreta Chevrolat (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)

Abstract

The cosmopolitan flea beetle genera Phyllotreta and Psylliodes (Galerucinae, Alticini) are mainly associated with host plants in the family Brassicaceae and include economically important pests of crucifer crops. In this review, the host plant associations and geographical distributions of known species in these genera are summarised from the literature, and their proposed phylogenetic relationships to other Alticini analysed from published molecular phylogenetic studies of Galerucinae. Almost all Phyllotreta species are specialised on Brassicaceae and related plant families in the order Brassicales, whereas Psylliodes species are associated with host plants in approximately 24 different plant families, and 50% are specialised to feed on Brassicaceae. The current knowledge on how Phyllotreta and Psylliodes are adapted to the characteristic chemical defence in Brassicaceae is reviewed. Based on our findings we postulate that Phyllotreta and Psylliodes colonised Brassicaceae independently from each other.

Quantity and specialisation matter: Effects of quantitative and qualitative variation in willow chemistry on resource preference in leaf‐chewing insects

“…Even more abundant species was Crepidodera aurata Marsham (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, commonly known as the willow flea beetle), a Salicaceae specialist, that fed on all hosts in the study and comprised ~35% (3192 individuals) of all herbivores we sampled. The exact mechanisms how it copes with various chemistry of its Salicaceae hosts is unknown, but related flea beetle species are known to detoxify and sequester metabolites of their Brassicaceae hosts (Gikonyo et al, 2019). If similar mechanisms are present in C. aurata , it could explain why they are so abundant and can feed on multiple Salicaceae species disregarding β‐diversity in their chemistry.…”

Ontogenetic differences in the chemical defence of flea beetles influence their predation risk

“…Brassicaceae plants (Gikonyo, Biondi, & Beran, 2019). The most obvious and characteristic antipredator strategy of adult flea beetles is their ability to jump in order to escape (Furth, 1988).…”

Seasonal Incidence of Striped Flea Beetle Phyllotreta striolata F. on Cruciferous Crops in North Kashmir

“…Phyllotreta striolata F., is prevalent as pest of cruciferous crops in Kashmir (Rasool et al, 2019). Phyllotreta spp., are found in all geographical regions (≥ 60%) including Palearctic, Afrotropical, and Nearctic regions (≥ 80%) (Gikonyo et al, 2019). Factors like temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and other weather factors affect the seasonal incidence of insects.…”