Latin: Sitona lineatus
The leaf beetle belongs to the genus with the Latin name Sitona – also called snout beetles – while the leaf beetle itself goes under the name Sitona lineatus. This species of snout beetle lives on pea-flowering plants, which includes plants such as clover, peas, and alfalfa.
The reason why the leaf beetle got its Danish name lies in the way the beetles gnaw on the leaves. Their bite leaves moon-shaped incisions in the leaf margins.
Appearance
The adult leaf beetle grows between 4 and 5 millimeters long. The body is brownish with stripes running down the body. The front part of the body is narrower than the rest of the body and out from the head comes two sensory horns.
Biology and behavior
The leaf beetles are visible in the spring when the heat announces its arrival, and the small beetles begin to emerge from their winter hibernation under leaves and rocks. Spring is also the time of year when mating begins. After mating, the female lays her eggs. She does this on a plant or on the surrounding soil.
After the larvae have hatched, they dig further into the ground. Down to the roots of the plant, where they continue their development without doing any significant damage to the plant. When fully developed, they seek out from the soil. This happens in late summer when they can be found in greater numbers.
Damage
Sometimes the leaf beetle is considered a pest. As described, the beetles live on pea-flowering plants, and it is also the taste for these plants that is the reason for their reputation as pests. The leaf beetle can be a major nuisance in agriculture, where they especially occur in large numbers in pea fields.
Prevention and pest control
It is especially in connection with the harvesting of e.g., pea fields, horse beans or lupins, that the leaf beetles can appear in hordes. Here it may be necessary to contact a pest controller or a consultant in horticulture or agriculture to deal with the problem.
Sometimes the leaf beetle also finds its way into our homes. This is done based on a search for food or a suitable place for the beetle to overwinter. And as a rule, there is only a single or a small handful who have randomly searched the home.
If the leaf beetle is inside the home, there is no need for an alarm. It cannot harm people, housing, or furniture, but at most be an annoying element. It is therefore not necessary to implement very large measures. Often, they are easiest to remove with a vacuum cleaner, and otherwise they can be killed with ordinary insect spray.
"Pests in House and Home"
"Bed Bugs - Bites, Stings and Itches"
"Food Pests"
"Husets dyreliv" (Insects Around the House - Only danish)
"Skadedyr i træ" (Timber Pests - Only danish)
"Stuefluen" (Common Housefly - Only danish)