Epitrix cucumeris

Epitrix cucumeris, the potato flea beetle, is a species of flea beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is a major pest of potatoes in North America.

Distribution

It is native to North America and occurs widely in the Americas; it has also been introduced to the Azores and the continental Europe.

Epitrix cucumeris is a small oval and convex beetle measuring in length. It is difficult to distinguish from many other Epitrix without detailed examination.

It is a major pest of potatoes in North America, mostly damaging the foliage as adults. The larvae can sometimes damage the tubers. It can also feed on many other Solanaceae species.