Water Spinach Flea Beetle vs Dusky Click Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Water Spinach Flea Beetle Dusky Click Beetle
Scientific Name Chaetocnema basalis Agriotes obscurus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Elateridae
Size 1.5-2 mm 7-9 mm
Habitat Wetlands Farmland
Diet Seed Feeders Root Feeders
Regions South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands Europe, Northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Water Spinach Flea Beetle

A tiny, shiny dark bronze to black flea beetle that is a significant pest of rice seedlings and water spinach across tropical Asia. Its shot-hole feeding weakens young plants.

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Did You Know?

Despite its minute size, this beetle can cause devastating damage to rice nurseries when it attacks seedlings at the one-leaf stage.

Dusky Click Beetle

A dull dark brown click beetle with dense pubescence and subtle elytral striations. The larvae are significant wireworm pests that attack the roots of cereals, potatoes, and other crops.

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Did You Know?

This species is particularly problematic in land recently converted from grassland to arable cultivation.