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Colorado potato beetle
noun
: a black-and-yellow striped beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) that feeds on the leaves of the potato
called also potato beetle, potato bug
Examples of Colorado potato beetle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Colorado potato beetle was a good target because the voracious critters damage not just potato, but also tomato, eggplant, and bell peppers.
—Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 27 June 2024
Cilantro flowers are very small, perfect for attracting parasitoids and predators that feed on garden pests like Colorado potato beetle and tomato fruitworms.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 June 2024
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.
—NBC News, 29 Nov. 2021
GreenLight Biosciences has an RNA spray targeting the Colorado potato beetle that’s currently being evaluated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
—(old) Matt Reynolds, Wired, 8 Nov. 2021
Harvest is effortless with no digging, and this method is suggested as a way to thwart the Colorado potato beetle.
—Doug Hall, Good Housekeeping, 21 May 2020
The bacterium targets agricultural pests, such as corn rootworm and Colorado potato beetle, but leaves pollinators like bees unharmed.
—Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 11 Dec. 2013
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Cite this Entry
“Colorado potato beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Colorado%20potato%20beetle. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
Colorado potato beetle
noun
Col·o·ra·do potato beetle
ˌkäl-ə-ˈrad-ō-,
-ˈräd-
: a black-and-yellow striped beetle that feeds on the leaves of the potato
called also potato beetle, potato bug
More from Merriam-Webster on Colorado potato beetle
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Colorado potato beetle
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