Red turnip beetle (Entomoscelis americana)

Red turnip beetle biology & life cycle

Eggs overwinter in soil and hatch in late April to early May. Young larvae feed on foliage of volunteer canola, mustard or other crucifers. Mature larvae enter the soil to pupate. Adults emerge and feed on the same plants used by larvae. Adults are the most damaging and depending on population, can completley devour a canola plant. After 2-3 weeks of feeding, adults enter the soil and aestivate for 1 month. In late July to August adults reappear and disperse into new canola fields. Females lay groups of eggs near the base of host plants under lumps of soil, leaf material, trash, or in shallow crevices. One generation per year.

Identifying Red turnip beetle

Red turnip beetle: larvae

12 mm long when mature, six-legged, segmented body with black-brown underside.

Red turnip beetle: Pupae

Bright orange

Red turnip beetle: adult

5-11 mm long, red with 3 black longituinal lines on wing covers, pronotum and head red with black patches.

Red turnip beetle: management

Adults chew large, irregular holes in leaves and may also feed on flowers an seed pods of mature plants. Newly emerged adults usually begin feeding along field margins and move toward the center of the field. Begin monitoring fields for larvae in early June.