I hadn't seen it that way until you mentioned it. FUNNY :o)

I had suggested Systena elongata on the first images in this series. Currently we have only one image filed under S. elongata and the comment on that images mentions that the "...red head is somewhat troubling" - Tim R. Moyer.

Here is a link to an image on the North Dakota State University site of their S.elongata with a black head and pronotum.

Your arriving at this same conclusion helps. I feel more confident in my assessment.

Do you think I should move it to species or genus or even keep it here a couple of days?

And thanks again for your interest!

this couplet comes from the key for Systena of Alabama
Prothoracic and elytra ground color black..... S. elongata
Prothoracic and elytral ground color light brown or yellow..... S. blanda

The description of Systena blanda:
Elongate oval. Head red-brown. Pronotum shining, yellow, lateral margins brown. Elytra closely punctate; brown, more darkly so along suture, and each elytron with median yellow vitta. Prosternum and legs yellow-brown, meso and metathorax and abdomen black. Length 3.2-3.9 mm. Width 1.4-1.8 mm

I´ll check the key from Downy and Arnett later

What bothered me about identifying this as S. blanda though was the clearly black elytra, although the pronotum is red. As adults attain their mature coloration following emergence from the pupal stage they can go through red to black but never from black to red.

I created a guide page HERE for Systena blanda - Palestriped Flea Beetle but I will wait until after you check the key before moving it there.

Thanks again Rob!

I checked Downy and Arnett; there are no additional striped species for the north-east and its keys to S. blanda here as well.

Thanks for your help Rob and Mike!