You would think a potato beetle would eat potatoes right? Apparently, that’s just not always the case…
This year I am the “lucky” recipient of not one, but two different Potato Beetles deciding my plants are the best to eat. But I don’t have any potato plants! These beetles are actually eating my tomatillo and eggplant plants.
Potato Beetles are in the taxonomic family Chysomelidae, aka the Leaf Beetles, because most members in the family eat the leaves of something. While Potato Beetles do eat the leaves of potato plants, they will apparently also eat the leaves of a number of other closely related plants found in the same plant family – the nightshade plants (taxonomic family = Solanaceae). This includes not just my eggplants and tomatillos, but also plants like tomatoes, Jimsonweed, and Horse Nettle. I may not have potatoes, but I have all the others growing in the garden or the weeds (last year I even found some Jimsonweed, which was a surprise).
At first I thought I only had the Three-Lined Potato Beetle, Lema daturaphila, in residence, as I had seen some of the adults earlier in the year enjoying an orgy on my tomatillos. And I definitely found both their eggs and their larvae, aka baby beetles, aka super poopers, on my tomatillo leaves. Want to know something gross? The larvae actually take their poop and pile it on top of their backs to hide under! They do this as a defensive mechanism against predators, because who wants to eat a pile of poop instead of a juicy grub? I sure don’t. Although to be fair, I really don’t want to eat the grubs either….
On to beetle species number two. At the same time as I found the Three-Lined Potato Beetle larvae, I also found a bunch of beetle larvae going to town chewing holes in my eggplant leaves. My eggplants are located in the same bed as my tomatillos, and the larvae looked kinda similar at a glance, so I thought they would all be the same thing. Not so! Upon closer inspection, while they do look a little similar, the beetle larvae on the eggplant leaves were a different color, different shape, and, and, they don’t have poop on their backs lol. These little buggers on my eggplant leaves are actually baby Colorado Potato Beetles, Leptinotarsa decemlineata.
Who would have thought? Two different potato beetles, but no potatoes!
Want to learn more about potato beetles? Check out the following resources:
- Utah State University Three-Lined Potato Beetle
- University of New Hampshire Three-Lined Potato Beetle
- University of Kentucky Colorado Potato Beetle
Support the blog
Like my blog? Want to help keep the new content coming and the pages ad free? Consider becoming one of my Patreon Patrons! Any amount, big or small, helps me spend more time creating and less time trying to keep the lights on. Patreon Patrons can also get exclusive access to monthly newsletters, story sneak peeks, story requests, and more! Please consider supporting the blog and check out my Patreon Patron support page.
Ok, you say, but what is this Patreon thing you are talking about? Patreon is a service that helps connect content creators with folks who want to help support creative endeavors. Patreon is setup to be able to safely handle the financial side of transactions so both the patron and the creator can be confident their information is secure. You can read more about what Patreon is HERE.
Thank you!!
Not interested in a Patreon monthly subscription? Prefer to make a one-time contribution? We have that option too! Help support the blog with a one-time donation through PayPal instead! Thank you!!
Gifts & Swag Galore
Now you can get prints of some of our favorite critters on Red Bubble! Everything from tote bags and pillows, to greeting cards and note books, to t-shirts and mugs!
Check out it out HERE. The store is organized by design, so pick a critter picture to see all the gift options :)
Here are just a few examples:
And so much more! Check out all the bug patterns HERE.
Join the email list
Want Bug News stories & announcements sent to your inbox? Never miss a story: Join the Bug News email list here or email me at Erika@bug.news with “Join email list” in the subject line.
Questions? Comments? Corrections?
I’d love to know what you thought and what’s on your mind. Email it to me at erika@bug.news. I’ll do everything I can to answer your questions, address your comments, and keep the stories updated :)
We’re also on Facebook so you can leave a comment or start a discussion there too if you prefer that medium…
