S3-4: Ecology and distribution of cabbage stem flea beetle and its parasitoids in UK winter oilseed rape crops: steps towards Integrated Pest Management

Abstract: The cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB, Psylliodes chrysocephala L.) is the most
serious pest of oilseed rape (OSR, Brassica napus L.) during establishment in Europe. A
combination of restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments and pest resistance to
pyrethroid insecticides has resulted in control failures making it necessary to provide a broad
range of management options available for farmers to combat CSFB in a sustainable and
efficient way. For this, we need to better understand the ecology of CSFB and the range and
impact of natural enemies on their populations. The aim of this study was to increase
understanding of CSFB population ecology by evaluating the influence of different
management practices and weather variables on the spatio-temporal changes in CSFB
populations in the UK and to investigate the distribution and importance of Microctonus
brassicae, the main parasitoid of the adult form of CSFB in the UK.