Abstract
The spotted bronze head and shiny black-and-yellow-striped wings of the Colorado potato beetle are an unwelcome sight for farmers. Though larvae and adults feed primarily on potato plants, the Colorado potato beetle also eats other plants in the Solanaceae family, otherwise known as the nightshades, famed for the potent alkaloid content in their leaves. To cope with eating the toxic leaves of these plants, the beetle has evolved mechanisms to metabolize toxins, including chemical pesticides . This ability has helped it become the world’s biggest potato pest since spreading from the Southwest US in the 1850s. Russ Groves, a professor and extension specialist in the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Entomology Department, has been studying insecticide resistance in agricultural systems for decades and says the potato growers he works with are all too familiar with the beetle’s special ability. “So if your question is, ‘Do Colorado potato beetles generate resistance?’ ” he says,
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
