Potato: Colorado potato beetle
categories: Potato Potato Insects Vegetables
revision date: 2023-04-04 12:00
Photo by: Clemson University
Biology
The adult Colorado potato beetle is a broad (1⁄4″ wide), yellow-and-black striped beetle up to about 3⁄8″ in length. The adults overwinter in the soil, emerging in the spring. They lay clusters of yellow eggs on the underside of the leaves of host plants. The humpbacked larvae are reddish-orange and have two rows of black spots along each side. Both larvae and adults chew holes in leaves and leaf margins. They may cause serious defoliation of potatoes. Other plants which may be attacked include pepper, tomato, petunia, and other potato relatives including weeds such as nightshade and groundcherry. They occur only east of the Cascades.
Management Options
Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for successful plant problem management.
Non-chemical Management
Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!
- Eliminate weeds in and around the garden, especially nightshade and related species.
- Hand-pick and kill adults and larvae.
- Crop rotation to non-host plants may be useful if host species are not planted nearby.
Chemical Management
IMPORTANT: Visit Home and Garden Fact Sheets for more information on using pesticides.
- Apply according to label instructions when potato beetle is first seen.
- Direct treatment especially where stems of potato vines enter soil.
- Several applications may be needed. Beneficial nematodes can be ordered through certain nurseries.
- They can be applied to control the larval stage if soil temperatures are warmer than 52° F.
- Nematodes should not be applied in direct sunlight and the soil should be saturated with water prior to application.
Approved Pesticides
Listed below are examples of pesticides that are legal in Washington. Always read and follow all label directions.
Additional Images
Photo by: Unknown
Photo by: Unknown