Distribution and Seasonal Phenology of Cereal Leaf Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on Wheat in Tennessee

A three-year study was conducted to assess the distribution and seasonal incidence of cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (L.), on wheat, Triticum aestivum L., in Tennessee. Cereal leaf beetle was distributed across the state with populations most frequently encountered in eastern and middle Tennessee. Cereal leaf beetle adults were active in wheat fields during late March to early April; eggs were found from late March to early May; and larvae were found from early April to early June, peaking during mid May. In our experimental plots, larval densities exceeded the suggested economic threshold during each year. F1 adults emerged from late May to late June and fed approximately 2 wks on corn and other available Graminae plants. Adult activity then ceased; adults, eggs, and larvae were not encountered again until the following March and April.