The potato beetle is native to North America, primarily in the western regions around the Rocky Mountains. Its main source of food before settlers introduced cultivated potatoes was the buffalo bur, a wild-growing plant related to the potato family. The potato bug quickly became a voracious and destructive pest of not only potato crops, but also of tomotoes, peppers, eggplants, tobacco and other species belonging to the nightshade family. They generally have hard wing covers, or elytra , making them appear as if it has its own body armour. Beetles can fly if necessary, but most aren t very aerodynamic and generally remain in or around the areas where they hatched.
All beetles metamorphosize from egg to larva to pupae and finally into an adult in a single season.
Larvae or grubs will appear after about 4-15 days, depending on temperatures, and then begin to voraciously feed on the nearest host plants. Larvae and adult beetles both have very efficient chewing mouthparts equipped with sharp cutting edges. If left unchecked an infestation of leaf or plant-eating beetles, like the Colorado potato beetle, can decimate crops in a very short time, sometimes leaving behind nothing but stripped plant stalks. Most beetles are very resistant to sprays and repellents and after a few generations will build up a tolerance to a particular brand of toxin. In this respect the Colorado potato beetle is no different than its cousins, making it a real challenge to control.