Corn Flea Beetle vs North African Bombardier Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Corn Flea Beetle | North African Bombardier Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chaetocnema pulicaria | Brachinus humeralis |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Chrysomelidae | Carabidae |
| Size | 1.5-2 mm | 8-12 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Heathland |
| Diet | Herbivores | Omnivores |
| Regions | North America | North Africa, Southern Europe |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Corn Flea Beetle
A very small, shiny black to bronze flea beetle with a compact, oval body. It vectors Stewart's wilt bacterium, making it both a direct and indirect pest of sweet corn.
Did You Know?
The severity of Stewart's wilt in a given year can be predicted by winter temperatures, since cold winters reduce overwintering beetle populations.
North African Bombardier Beetle
A bombardier beetle found in North Africa and the Mediterranean basin. It has a reddish-brown head and thorax with dark blue-black elytra.
Did You Know?
Like other bombardier beetles it can fire its chemical spray in rapid pulses of up to 500 times per second.