Females each deposit 300 to 500 eggs in clusters of 20 or more on the undersides of leaves. Four to 9 days later, larvae emerge and feed for the next 3 weeks. Once mature, larvae drop to the ground and pupate in the soil. Five to 10 days later, a new generation of beetles emerge. In North Carolina, at least two full generations and a partial third occur each year.
Birds feed upon adults and larvae while predatory bugs attack eggs and larvae.
These predatory bugs may be gray, brown, or brightly colored and are often shield-shaped. Two kinds of gray and black tachinid flies also parasitize larvae. Katahdin potatoes show some resistance to Colorado potato beetles. Early treatment of commercially grown potatoes with systemic insecticides normally control overwintering beetles and early hatching larvae. However, some insect activity may persist around the field.