The flea beetle is a small jumping beetle in the leaf beetle family. It can be distinguished by its thick and powerful back legs, (see picture below) which mean it can spring out of the way of predators. Hence its name.
Flea beetles can be pests, the adults feeding on the leaves of the host plant and the larvae on the roots. The adults appear in the spring after hibernating, and lay eggs at the base of the host plant. The next generation of adults emerge by midsummer. Altica lythri is a dark metallic turquoise flea beetle which favours Great Willowherb.
