Oilseed-rape-pest
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Psylliodes chrysocephala
cabbage-stem flea beetle, cabbage stem flea beetle
Psylliodes chrysocephala, the cabbage-stem flea beetle, is a small flea beetle native to the Western Palaearctic and introduced to Canada. It is a major agricultural pest of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus) in northern Europe, with adults feeding on leaves and larvae mining within petioles and stems. The species exhibits an obligatory summer aestivation period to survive heat and desiccation stress, with complex physiological and genetic mechanisms regulating this dormancy. Management has become increasingly difficult due to neonicotinoid bans and rising pyrethroid resistance.