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Photo#57823
Flea beetles? - Chrysolina quadrigemina

Flea beetles? - Chrysolina quadrigemina
Barrie, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada
June 14, 2006
Size: 8mm
These have suddenly appeared in large numbers during the last week, primarily on white sweet clover (Melilotus alba), but occasionally on alfalfa plants as well. There are patches of sweet clover where nothing is left but a stalk with a bunch of shiny green bugs clustered at the top like a bunch of grapes. I don't recall anything making much of a dent in sweet clover around here in the past, though it's possible these beetles could have been around in smaller numbers and I wouldn't have noticed them.The first picture shows several on a sweet clover plant - the closest thing I've found to them looks-wise in the guide is flea beetles, but these are around 8mm - too large for a flea beetle?

Images of this individual: tag all
Flea beetles? - Chrysolina quadrigemina Flea beetles? - Chrysolina quadrigemina Flea beetles? - Chrysolina quadrigemina

Clover?
Those leaves don't look like clover. It would be very unusual for this species to start feeding on clover. It looks more like its normal host plant, Jt. Johnswort. Compare

 
Or St. Johnswort :-)
I agree, it does, a young shoot of it. Later on the stems would gain some red coloration.

I'm curious to know why these were frassed
they seem like a fine set of images to me.

 
Agreed
The beetle images are not too helpful for ID purposes, but this image shows how this species often clusters on host plants. Moving to guide page.

They look like Klammath Weed Beetles to me.
Compare. Are you certain they were on clover and not St. Johnswort aka Klammath Weed?

btw, although these are not fl*ea beetles, I don't think 8mm is too large for one. I've collected some good-sized ones in the tropics anyway.

 
Thanks Jim - that sure looks
Thanks Jim - that sure looks like them. The ones I found on plants that still had foliage were definitely on sweet clover, but they were not very active, and the plants with the most beetles on them had been totally stripped of foliage. Perhaps the ones I saw on the clover were just strays looking for food, having run out of suitable host plants? Will try to look more closely this weekend - thank you!

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