The flea beetle is a common pest for farmers and gardeners alike in this corner of the province. However, there is more to the species than meets the eye. Provincial Insect and Vertebrate Pest Management Specialist for the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. James Tansey, says that the term “flea beetle” covers approximately 5,000 species worldwide, in a subfamily called the Alticinae.

“They're going to be the same family as Colorado Potato Beetle and some other notorious pests. But the giveaway on flea beetles or the members of the Alticinae is great big honking hind femurs that allow them to jump great distances for their size. I'm sure people have either tried to squish them or capture them and notice that they'll just boing away in random directions.”

Of these thousands of species, two are

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