It is a known fact that the potato beetle is the most detrimental pest for potato crops. Both adults and larvae consume foliage and if no pest control plan is maintained, the complete destruction of all foliage of the potato plant occurs. If no control plan to date is effective for providing long-term protection of all potato crops and to date the pest is a major threat to the livelihood of all potato farmers. The task of deterring them is a major, time consuming task as the have become resistant to many insecticides over the years and have developed stronger populations.
The Colorado potato beetle, with scientific name Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is a leaf beetle from the family Chrysomelidae. Adults are typically 3/8 inch (10 mm) long, have a yellowish color, dark orange head and ten black vertical stripes on its back. Their eggs are yellowish-orange and are usually found in groups of 20-50 eggs underneath leaves. Their larva is between (3 to 13 mm) long and have a slug-like appearance.
Over the Winter months, the Colorado potato beetle start gathering in woody areas near fields where they have spent the Summer. If the field is not rotated, the potato fields become colonized by the adults which have taken shelter in the field over the Summer. Even if fields are rotated, the pests are able to fly many kilometres back to the field. Once they arrive at the field, they lay eggs within only 5-6 days. On average, a female lays 500-600 eggs and adult live for one to months.
In the summer, adults dig out of the soil and start feeding on the new potato plants. It takes them only seven to nine days to reproduce and lay eggs.
The Colorado beetle is endemic to south west North America, but has since spread through the continent to Europe and Asia. At present this pest covers approximately 8 million square area of North America, about 6 million square kilometres within Europe and Asia. They are also found in large populations in Central Asia, China and Iran and Indian Subcontinent.
Since this beetle has an adaptable lifecycle which is ideally suited to the agricultural lifecycles, it makes them a challenge to control. It is therefore crucial to implement an adequate insecticide plan.
