Colorado Potato Beetle
Colorado Potato Beetle .jpg) Adult Colorado potato beetles are yellowish orange 3/8in (8mm) long with 10 lengthwise black stripes on wing covers and black spots on the thorax. Overwintering adults emerge from the soil in the spring to feed on young plants. After feeding, females up to 1000 eggs during their seven month life span. The eggs are bright yellow ovals, standing on end in clusters on the underside of leaves. They hatch in four to nine days. The dark orange humpbacked grubs feed for two to three weeks, then pupate in the soil. Adults emerge in five to ten days. There are two generations of Colorado potato beetles a year in most areas, three generations in southern areas. Susceptible Plants- Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and related solanaceae plants, including petunias. Symptoms- Both adults and larvae chew holes in foliage. They can kill small plants and reduce yields of mature plants.
Prevention and Control- Cultural practices play an important role in the management of Colorado potato beetle, as they help minimize the need for insecticides, protect natural predators, and prevent the development of pesticide resistance.
Such practices include crop rotation(for larger farms), trapping, mulching, row covers, and flaming Mulching the potato crop with straw after an early-season hilling may also reduce the Colorado potato beetle’s ability to locate potato fields, and the mulch creates an environment that favors beetle predators. Growers using this system note that the straw should be spread so it’s touching the potato plants, but only a light layer of straw mulch is needed. Another way to protect plants is to place lightweight floating row covers over them and then seal the edges, well before the Colorado potato beetles arrive. Biological Controls- Release of Spined Soldier Bug Podisus maculiventris to attack larve. Release Edovum puttleri in southern areas to attack second generation larvae. Apply Beneficial Nematodes Pesticide Control- Diatomaceous Earth
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