COLLECTION, HANDLING AND BIOASSAY PROCEDURES FOR A FLEA BEETLE, PHYLLOTRETA-CRUCIFERAE (COLEOPTERA, CHRYSOMELIDAE)

A technique was developed for collecting, handling and utilizing a flea beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze), for laboratory studies. Beetles were collected by sweeping wild hosts or canola and held in cardboard cartons with tops made of 1.76 mm2 saran mesh. The mesh enabled beetles to move from the debris collected by sweeping to a large cage and prevented larger arthropods from entering the cage. The bioassay procedure consisted of exposing four to eight beetles in a test arena made from 28 ml clear plastic cups with loosely fitting lids. Foliage treated with test materials was placed between the plastic cup rim and the lid. After beetles were aspirated from the large cage and blown into the plastic cup, lids were pressed into the cup rim and cups were inverted on moist blotter paper. Leaf sections held under these conditions remained green and beetles survived for periods of up to 10 days.