Subject: Beetles Matting
Geographic location of the bug:peter Laugheed Park, Alberta, Canada
Date: 08/11/2019
Time: 12:48 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Found these bettles matting on Foxtail Barley along lake shore. Currious as to what they are.
How you want your letter signed: Larry Halverson
Dear Larry,
Because we quickly recognized these as Leaf Beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, we were able to identify them as mating Red Turnip Beetles, Entomoscelis americana, on BugGuide. According to BugGuide: “occasional pest of canola, rapeseed and mustard in the northern Great Plains; may also damage other crucifer crops (turnips, cabbage). Larvae and adults feed on plants at night.”
Thanks for your quick responce. Very interesting – Will let my son-in-law (a canola farmer) know about these as he saw them too although his farm is hunders of miles away
larry