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Colorado Potato BeetleColorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) The adult Colorado Potato Beetle has an oval body that is about 3/8 inch long. It is yellow-orange in color, and it has several black stripes down its back. Eggs are an orange/yellow color and 1.5 mm in length. They are fixed in clusters of 10 to 30 on the underside of the leaves. After hatching, larvae are orange/red in color. Once development is complete they measure up to ½ inch in length, and are soft, plump, and dark red in color. They have black spots on the sides of their body. Pupae are found in the ground. They are pinkish, and 1 cm long. Adults overwinter in the ground at a depth of between 25 and 40 cm. They emerge in spring after rain and when the ground temperature has reached 14 °C at their hibernation depth. They then feed on young potato leaves. After mating, the female immediately begins to lay eggs. The adults and the larvae can partially or totally destroy the foliage of their host plant.
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