Chrysanthemum Flea Beetle vs Coastal wattle

Longitarsus succineus compared with Acacia cyclops

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chrysanthemum Flea Beetle	Coastal wattle
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Chrysomelidae	Fabaceae
Genus	Longitarsus	Acacia
Species	Longitarsus succineus	Acacia cyclops

Conservation Status

Chrysanthemum Flea Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Coastal wattle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chrysanthemum Flea Beetle	Coastal wattle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chrysanthemum Flea Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Coastal wattle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (13 countries), Asia (Israel), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States).

Chrysanthemum Flea Beetle

The chrysanthemum flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephalus) is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, native to Europe and western Asia. Adults are small, shiny, metallic bronze-green to blue-black beetles, and like other flea beetles, they possess enlarged hind femora that enable them to jump powerfully when disturbed, giving the group their common name. Both adults and larvae of this species feed on plants in the family Brassicaceae, particularly oilseed rape (Brassica napus), as well as members of related plant families. The specific association with chrysanthemum suggested by the common name may reflect occasional feeding on ornamental plants or historical misidentification, as the primary pest hosts in agricultural contexts are cruciferous crops. Adult beetles make characteristic small round holes in leaves, and larvae mine the stems of host plants. Psylliodes chrysocephalus is a notable agricultural pest of oilseed rape in parts of Europe, where larval stem mining can reduce crop vigor. Population levels are highest in autumn when adults are actively feeding and laying eggs. Integrated pest management strategies for flea beetle control include crop rotation, seed treatments, and biological controls.

Coastal wattle

Coastal wattle (Acacia cyclops) is a dense, fast-growing shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to the southwestern and southern coastal regions of Western Australia, from Shark Bay south to the Nullarbor Plain. It grows on coastal dunes, sandy scrubland, and limestone substrates near the sea, where it tolerates salt spray, wind, and summer drought. Coastal wattle produces distinctive circular seeds with bright red arillate coatings, making them highly attractive to birds. Although valued in its native range for coastal stabilisation and revegetation, the species has become highly invasive in southern Africa, particularly South Africa, where it was introduced for dune stabilisation in the 19th century and has since spread extensively across the Cape Floristic Region, displacing native fynbos vegetation. It is listed among the 100 worst invasive species globally by the IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group. In Australia, it is assessed as Least Concern. Management of invasive populations in South Africa involves mechanical removal and biological control efforts aimed at protecting the critically threatened fynbos biome.