From the early 1920s, Europe was furiously struggling with the invasion of the Colorado potato beetle and then soon took cognisance of its inevitable triumph with resignation. All over Europe, laboratories were established and talented entomologists attempted to discover the “Achilles-heel” of the new pest devastating potato fields and threatening the potato industry. In 1947, the first scouts ...

The colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is the leading insect pest of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in northern latitudes. Host plant resistance has the potential use in an integrated pest management program for control of colorado potato beetle. During the 1998 and 1999 seasons, field studies were conducted to compare natural (leptine glycoalkaloi...

Wild relatives of potato offer a tremendous germplasm resource for breeders. Because the germplasm base of potato is so broad and diverse, we have undertaken a series of studies to determine whether we can predict the distribution of valuable genes in wild Solanum species based on taxonomic or biogeographic data. This is the third study in the series. Resistance to defoliation by Colorado potat...

The abundance of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), in organically grown potato did not change significantly in response to increasing rates of dehydrated poultry manure. However, peaks of abundance of larvae were shifted forward in time in response to the high rate of organic fertilizer. Tests using excised foliage showed that the shift was not caused by differential ...

The impact of electronic dipole tags on the walking activity of three insects was determined using video tracking software. Results varied within and between the three species studied. The heaviest tag mounted on the pronotum of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), reduced its mean horizontal speed slightly but significantly. The mean horizontal speed of plum curculio, C...