Thanks to George Jett for sending the potato beetle information below!
Colorado potato beetle females are very
prolific; they can lay as many as 800 eggs. The eggs are yellow to orange, and
are about 0.04 inches long. They are usually deposited in batches of about
30 on the underside of host leaves. Development of all life stages depends on
temperature. After 4–15 days, the eggs hatch into reddish-brown larvae with humped backs and two rows of dark brown spots on either
side. The larvae have a large, nine segmented, abdomen and black
head, and may measure up to 0.59 inches. The larvae go through four stages of growth
(instars). The first through third instars each last about 2–3 days; the
fourth, 4–7 days. Adult beetles average 0.5 inches in length and
0.12 inches in width. The beetles are orange-yellow in color with ten
characteristic black stripes on the back.
The species name “decemlineata”, meaning 'ten lines', derives from
this feature.
The potato beetle feeds on the leaves of their
host plant. Host plants in our garden, besides potatoes, are
eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes.
The beetle is native to North America and
Mexico and is present in all of the states of except Alaska, California,
Hawaii, and Nevada. It now has a wide distribution across Europe
and Asia as well.
Wikipedia contributors. "Colorado potato beetle." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 Jun. 2017. Web.
6 Jul. 2017
Our control method so far has been squashing
all stages of this pest – eggs, larvae, and adults. Now that the potatoes
are dying back, this pest will likely move to the other host plants, so keep an
eye out for them. If you don’t want to squash the pest, let Lloyd or
someone else know so that they can be sent to beetle heaven.
If you want to learn more about this pest go
to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_potato_beetle.
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| Eggs |
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| Early (3rd) instar stage of larvae. |
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| Late (4th) instar stage of larva, before pupation. |
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| Adult |