Canola-pest
Guides
Ceutorhynchus obstrictus
Cabbage seedpod weevil
Ceutorhynchus obstrictus is a small weevil native to Europe and Asia that has become an invasive agricultural pest in North America. Adults feed on Brassicaceae leaves, while larvae develop inside seed pods and destroy developing seeds. The species causes significant economic damage to canola (Brassica napus) and other crucifer crops, with yield losses estimated at 5–30% in heavily infested fields. It completes one generation per year, with adults overwintering in soil or ground litter.
Lygus keltoni
Lygus keltoni is a plant bug species in the family Miridae, recently distinguished from L. shulli. It is a documented pest of canola and alfalfa in western Canada, with laboratory studies confirming its life history parameters. The species occurs across North America from Canada through the western United States to Mexico.
Nysius raphanus
False Chinch Bug
Nysius raphanus, commonly known as the false chinch bug, is a small North American seed bug in the family Lygaeidae. Adults measure no more than 1/8 inch (approximately 3 mm) in length. The species undergoes hemimetabolous development with multiple nymphal stages rather than a larval stage; nymphs resemble wingless adults. While recognized as the most serious pest among Nysius species, reports of heavy infestations causing significant crop damage are uncommon. Populations can reach outbreak levels under dry conditions.
Phyllotreta pusilla
Western Black Flea Beetle
Phyllotreta pusilla, commonly known as the western black flea beetle, is a flea beetle species in the family Chrysomelidae. It is distributed across Central America and North America, with documented presence in regions including Alberta, Canada and Colorado, USA. The species is recognized as an agricultural pest of canola and mustard crops, where it causes plant injury through feeding damage. Research has identified significant variation in host plant susceptibility among different canola and mustard varieties.