Silpha bituberosa
Pest description and crop damage Flattened, shiny black larva has a distinctly segmented body that tapers from head to abdomen. Adults are dull black, flattened, oblong-oval shaped, with ridges running lengthwise down wing covers. Feeding by larvae and adults appears as ragged or crushed leaf edges, especially on plants along field margins where adults overwinter.
Scouting and thresholds No formal economic thresholds exist for carrion beetle insecticide treatment decisions. They rarely cause economic injury.
Management-cultural control
Prevent buildup by eliminating weedy host plants, including common lambsquarters and pigweed.
Management-chemical control
Very few insecticides are registered. See Table 2.