Colorado potato beetle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Colorado potato beetle |
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Leptinotarsa
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L. decemlineata
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| Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, 1824
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The Colorado potato beetle, also known as Leptinotarsa decemlineata, is a type of beetle. You might just hear it called the Colorado beetle. This small insect is one of the biggest problems for potato plants around the world. It's known for its bright yellow and black stripes.
This beetle is famous for being able to fight off pesticides. Pesticides are special chemicals used to kill pests. Over the last 50 years, the Colorado potato beetle has learned to resist many different chemicals used to kill insects. This means that chemicals that used to work no longer harm them. Not all groups of beetles are resistant to every chemical, but they are very good at adapting.
The Colorado beetle first lived in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Today, it can be found in most of North America. It has also spread to Europe and Asia.
Contents
What Does the Colorado Potato Beetle Eat?
Today, the Colorado potato beetle mostly eats potato plants grown by farmers. Both the young beetles (called larvae) and the adult beetles munch on the leaves. They can eat so much that they leave only the stems of the plant. They might also attack other plants like tomatoes and eggplants. When there are too many of these beetles on a potato farm, they can destroy the entire crop.
How Do We Fight Them?
Because these beetles quickly become resistant to chemicals, farmers need other ways to protect their crops. One good way is called biological control. This means using other living things to fight the pests.
- A ground beetle called Lebia grandis is a natural enemy. It eats the eggs and young larvae of the Colorado potato beetle. Its own young also attack the beetle's pupae (the stage before they become adults).
- A special fungus named Beauveria bassiana can infect and kill many insects, including the Colorado beetle. This fungus is one of the most common natural ways to control the beetle. Farmers can even spray it on their fields, just like they would with chemicals.
Where Did They Come From?
The Colorado potato beetle did not always eat potato plants. This is because potatoes originally came from South America. That area was far from where the beetle first lived. Before people brought potatoes to North America, the Colorado beetle ate a different plant called buffalo-bur.
Images for kids
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Leptinotarsa decemlineata adult specimen
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Coleomegilla maculata preying upon Colorado beetle eggs
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A Colorado beetle larva eating a leaf of a potato plant
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East German Young Pioneers collecting beetles during the war against the potato beetle
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Statue of the Colorado potato beetle in Hédervár, Hungary: It marks the discovery of the beetle at the site in 1947 during the rapid spread of the pest in Europe throughout the 20th century.
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Native range of the potato and native and current range of the Colorado beetle
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Eggs laid on the underside of a leaf
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First-instar larva after hatching
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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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Pupa
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Adult beetle after emergence
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Mating adult beetles
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See also
In Spanish: Escarabajo de la patata o dorífora para niños
