While hiking in northwest Ohio along a marshy area, I came across a few of these neat looking insects. Tall Flea Beetles are found east of the Rockies and into Central America, wherever their food plants grow.

Flea Beetles are named because they supposedly jump around (like fleas) when they’re disturbed. I didn’t see any jumping though. To accomplish their jumping, they are aided by disproportionately large hind legs. They are also capable of flying.

Because some of their food plants grow on the edges of wetlands, Tall Flea Beetles are listed as semi-aquatic beetles by a few sources. I’m not sure how the “Tall” fits into their common name, but this is an attractively colored and marked insect.

Flea Beetles are members of the Leaf Beetle Family. This species feeds on plants in the genus Polygonum – knotweed, smartweed and bindweed – which are invasive species in the United States. Other species eat agricultural crops.

Flea Beetles live through the winter as adults in leaf litter, hedgerows, windbreaks and wooded areas. Adults become active in early spring. Most Flea Beetles are very small (1/16 –1/8 inch long). An exception is the Spinach Flea Beetle, which is 1/4-inch long.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail