Colorado potato beetle

Natural Habitat

Agricultural fields, gardens, and meadows particularly where nightshade plants are present

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous, feeding primarily on the leaves of plants in the Solanaceous (nightshade) family, such as potatoes, eggplants, and tomatoes

Behavior Patterns

Adults overwinter in the soil and emerge in spring to lay yellow eggs on the underside of host leaves; they are capable of rapid reproduction and have developed significant resistance to many pesticides

Risks & Benefits

A major agricultural pest that can completely defoliate and destroy potato crops; they pose no direct physical risk to humans but cause significant economic damage to food supplies

Identified on: 6/17/2026