Adult cereal leaf beetles have been spotted in a few areas across OH. Adults do not normally cause yield loss in wheat, but, if present in high numbers, they could lead to heavy larval infestations over the next few weeks. Adult cereal leaf beetles are shiny, metallic blue and orange and are best found using a sweep net or by walking the field. Cereal leaf beetle larvae are small, gray and moist, resembling bird droppings, and are easily found on wheat leaves. Foliar damage on wheat occurs when larvae feed and strip the leaves, causing a “frosted appearance.” Economic threshold of cereal leaf beetle larvae averages 1 per stem. As wheat matures, growers should carefully inspect their fields for the presence of cereal leaf beetle larvae.
