Colorado potato beetle

Colorado potato beetle

noun

Definition of COLORADO POTATO BEETLE

: a black-and-yellow striped beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) that feeds on the leaves of the potato —called also potato beetle, potato bug

Illustration of COLORADO POTATO BEETLE

First Known Use of COLORADO POTATO BEETLE

1874

Colorado potato beetle

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Leaf beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata, family Chrysomelidae) native to western North America. It began feeding on the leaves of cultivated potatoes when the plants were introduced into western North America, and by 1874 it had become an important and widespread pest. It has a hemispherical body, about 0.4 in. (10 mm) long, and is orange-red or yellow, with black stripes on the wing covers. Depending on climate, potato beetles may produce one to three generations each year.

Variants of COLORADO POTATO BEETLE

Colorado potato beetle or potato bug