Colorado potato beetle

noun

1. a black and yellow leaf beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, originally of Colorado and neighboring states but now a common pest in all potato-growing regions of the U.S.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Colorado potato beetle¹

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Example Sentences

In turn, the bean plants protect potato buds from the Colorado potato beetle.

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One day you might find yourself screaming obscenities and flapping your arms in the air like a deranged chicken in response to a Colorado potato beetle outbreak.

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The Colorado potato beetle and disease-spreading aphids have flourished with the changing climate, said Jim Dill, pest management specialist at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

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Garden pests are often highly specialized and named after their favorite food: cabbageworm, corn earworm, tomato hornworm, Colorado potato beetle, cucumber beetle, pea weevil, pepper maggot, Mexican bean beetle, and so on.

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Note when pests and diseases pop up, such as the Colorado potato beetle.

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