THE ANIMAL FILES

Colorado potato beetle

Leptinotarsa decemlineata

A striped beetle and a red grub are two stages of the same species.

The Colorado potato beetle has striped adult wing covers and leaf-eating larvae with a different shape. Its lifecycle connects nightshade host plants with the soil where pupation occurs.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Colorado potato beetle
Image: Scott Bauer, USDA ARS · Commons · Public domain
Adult pattern
Ten dark stripes on the wing covers[1]
Larval stages
Four feeding instars before pupation[1]
Plant association
Plants in the nightshade family[1]

Wing covers provide the famous pattern

Orange-yellow adults have ten dark longitudinal stripes on their wing covers, a feature reflected in the name decemlineata. Similar-looking beetles exist, so counting and comparing the pattern matters more than recognising an orange silhouette.[1]

Leaves above, transformation below

Eggs are commonly placed on the undersides of host leaves. Larvae feed on the leaves and pass through four instars. When fully grown, they stop feeding, reach the soil and pupate underground. Development therefore links the plant surface with the ground rather than remaining on one leaf throughout.[1]

A potato name with a wider plant connection

This beetle is closely associated with the nightshade family, including potato and several related plants. Adults and larvae both use host foliage.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Is a striped adult simply a bigger red larva?

No. Pupation separates two substantially different body forms. The larva feeds and grows through instars; the adult emerges with a different structure, including the striped wing covers that make the species familiar.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why might looking only on leaves miss a developmental stage?

Reveal the explanation

The beetle’s pupae are in the soil rather than feeding openly on the host plant. An account of its life cycle needs to follow the mature larva away from the leaf as well as observe the feeding stages.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Colorado potato beetle (fixed revision; adapted and translated)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Leptinotarsa decemlineata (identity and classification)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

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