Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Coleoptera (Beetles) ➔ Family Chrysomelidae (Leaf beetles)

Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say, 1824)

Kartoffelkäfer Colorado Potato Beetle

Synonyms and other combinations:

Doryphora decemlineata Say, 1824 |

  • Leptinotarsa decemlineata 8286
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say, 1824)  Kartoffelkäfer  Colorado Potato Beetle 
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-06-10 17:24:53
    Image number: 8286

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-06-10 17:24:53
  • Leptinotarsa decemlineata 8287
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say, 1824)  Kartoffelkäfer  Colorado Potato Beetle 
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-06-10 17:30:45
    Image number: 8287

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-06-10 17:30:45
  • Leptinotarsa decemlineata 8288
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say, 1824)  Kartoffelkäfer  Colorado Potato Beetle 
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-06-10 17:27:12
    Image number: 8288

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-06-10 17:27:12
  • Leptinotarsa decemlineata 8289
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say, 1824)  Kartoffelkäfer  Colorado Potato Beetle 
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-06-10 17:30:09
    Image number: 8289

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-06-10 17:30:09
  • Leptinotarsa decemlineata 8290
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say, 1824)  Kartoffelkäfer  Colorado Potato Beetle 
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-06-10 17:28:01
    Image number: 8290

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-06-10 17:28:01
  • Leptinotarsa decemlineata 8291
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say, 1824)  Kartoffelkäfer  Colorado Potato Beetle 
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-06-10 17:28:05
    Image number: 8291

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-06-10 17:28:05
  • Leptinotarsa decemlineata 8292
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say, 1824)  Kartoffelkäfer  Colorado Potato Beetle 
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-06-10 15:05:49
    Image number: 8292

    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-06-10 15:05:49
  • Leptinotarsa decemlineata, bottom view 8293
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say, 1824)  Kartoffelkäfer  Colorado Potato Beetle 
    Leptinotarsa decemlineata, bottom view
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald; 2018-06-10 17:22:00
    Image number: 8293
    bottom view
    DE, Chemnitz, Harthwald
    2018-06-10 17:22:00

Further vernacular names:
Colorado Beetle, Ten-striped Spearman, Ten-lined Potato Beetle
Classification:
Leptinotarsa decemlineata belongs to the subfamily Chrysomelinae, tribe Doryphorini.
Distribution and habitat:
The Colorado Potato Beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata, which originally lived in Mexico on spiny nightshade (Solanum rosttratum), first spread to North America, where it colonized the potato (Solanum tuberosum) as host plant at the beginning of the 19th century. After some temporary introductions in Europe, the species has been established in Europe since 1922. Meanwhile it has spread worldwide in potato growing areas. The Colorado Potato Beetle prefers warm locations and was found in low mountain ranges up to 1350m.
Description:
The approx. 10 mm long, strikingly patterned Colorado Potato Beetle is unmistakable in Europe due to its light-coloured elytra with black longitudinal stripes and the orange pronotum with dark spots.
The larvae of Leptinotarsa decemlineata are predominantly orange with black spots.
Biology:
The adults and larvae of the Colorado Beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata live on some species of Solanaceae, especially of the genus Solanum. In addition to the main food plant potato (Solanum tuberosum), other cultivated plants such as eggplant (Solanum melongena) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) are less frequently colonized.
In spring the adults of the Colorado Beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata leave their winter shelter. They are very good flyers. When they have found suitable food plants, they start to eat the leaves and mate. After 5 - 10 days the females start to lay orange-red eggs in packages of 20 - 60 pieces on the undersides of the leaves. In extreme cases, a female can lay several 1000 eggs. After hatching, the larvae start feeding immediately. They go through 4 larval stages in about 10 - 20 days. The fully-grown larvae let themselves fall and burrow in the ground to pupate. After 10 days the new generation hatches.
How many generations are formed, as well as the duration of development, depends on the environmental conditions, in particular the temperature of the site.
Leptinotarsa decemlineata hibernates as adult in the soil at depths of 8 - 12 cm.

References, further reading, links:
  1. Rheinheimer, Joachim, & Hassler, Michael: Die Blattkäfer Baden-Württembergs, 2018, 928 pages, Kleinsteuber Books (Karlsruhe), ISBN 978-3-9818110-2-5