Pest management of emerging pests can be challenging because very little fundamental knowledge is available to inform management strategies. One such pest, the red-headed flea beetle Systena frontalis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is increasingly being identified as a pest of concern in cranberries Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton (Ericales: Ericaceae). To improve our understanding of this pest and to develop more targeted management programs, we conducted field and laboratory studies to characterize the development, seasonal emergence patterns, and density-dependent plant injury. We found that significantly more flea beetle eggs hatched when exposed to sustained cold treatment between 0 and 5°C for 15 wk than at warmer temperatures, and for shorter and longer cold-period durations. The adults emerged sporadically over the summer, were patchily distributed, fed on both fruit and foliage, and preferentially fed on new plant growth. Using soil cores, we found eggs and larvae located relatively deep (>30 cm) in the soil. These patterns indicate that S. frontalis likely overwinters as eggs, and that targeting the larval stage may be the most effective management approach. Despite the cryptic nature of the larvae, continuing to improve our understanding of this life stage will be critical to optimizing control strategies.

中文翻译：

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Systena frontalis F. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) 对 Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait 的生活史和损害。

新出现害虫的害虫管理可能具有挑战性，因为可用于指导管理策略的基础知识很少。一种这样的害虫，红头跳蚤甲虫 Systena frontalis (Fabricius) (鞘翅目：Chrysomelidae)，正越来越多地被确定为蔓越莓 Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton (Ericales: Ericaceae) 中令人担忧的害虫。为了提高我们对这种害虫的了解并制定更有针对性的管理计划，我们进行了实地和实验室研究，以描述其发展、季节性出现模式和密度依赖性植物损伤。我们发现，在 0 到 5°C 的持续冷处理 15 周时，与在更温暖的温度下以及更短和更长的冷期持续时间相比，明显更多的跳甲虫卵孵化。成年人在夏天偶尔出现，呈片状分布，以果实和叶子为食，优先以新植物生长为食。使用土壤核心，我们发现卵和幼虫位于土壤中相对较深（＞30 厘米）的位置。这些模式表明 S. frontalis 可能作为卵越冬，并且针对幼虫阶段可能是最有效的管理方法。尽管幼虫具有神秘的性质，但继续提高我们对这一生命阶段的理解对于优化控制策略至关重要。