However, adult feeding on canola during pod development and filling causes injury to seed pods and can result in premature pod drying, shriveled seeds and pod shattering. This injury is most noted on youngest pods and on late seeded crops. Insecticide application for late season flea beetle is not recommended but is a good indication of potential for damaging populations of this pest next year. In addition to the visible foliar damage by adult flea beetles, larval feeding damage on rootlets and root hairs or tubers is often over looked, although not by potato growers. The tuber flea beetle is a recent introduction and is a potentially damaging pest of potatoes.
Adults feed on foiliage producing the characteristic shot-hole damage.
In addition, larval feeding also allows entry of microorganisms that may cause rots or reduce storage potential. Russet Burbank are more severely affected than other varities. Although these tunnels are shallow enough to be removed by peeling they may make the tubers unsuitable or less valuable for marketing. Feeding by larvae may cause small raised bumps or trails on the tuber surface. Their activity is tightly linked to weather conditions and they may live up to 2 or 3 months depending on late summer and early fall weather.