definitions

flea beetle

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noun

any leaf beetle of the genera Haltica, Epitrix, etc., the various species of which have the rear legs adapted for jumping.

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Nearby words

flaysome, fld, fld., fldxt, flea, flea beetle, flea collar, flea in one's ear, a, flea market, flea-bitten, flea-flicker

Origin of flea beetle

First recorded in 1835–45
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for flea beetle

  • The flea-beetle inflicts much damage on the potato, tomato, eggplant, and other garden plants.

    Agriculture for Beginners|Charles William Burkett

British Dictionary definitions for flea beetle

flea beetle

noun

any small common beetle of the genera Phyllotreta, Chalcoides, etc, having enlarged hind legs and capable of jumping: family Chrysomelidae . The larvae of many species are very destructive to turnips and other cruciferous vegetables
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012