The potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella Zeller) is the primary insect pest of cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in tropical and subtropical regions, causing both foliar and tuber damage. In contrast, the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) is the most important insect pest in the northern potato production latitudes. The codon-modified Bacillus thuringiensis Bt-...

Lebia grandis (Coleoptera: Carabidae), recorded as a parasitoid only on Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is capable of parasitizing the false potato beetle, L. juncta, and also L. haldemani. Historical records show that L. decemlineata, while the only recorded host, was not present in much of the original range of L. grandis, and may not have been i...

A male-produced aggregation pheromone was identified for the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). While male beetles produced only minor amounts of the pheromone, its production could be enhanced by topical application of juvenile hormone III (JH III) (eightfold), by antennectomy (40-fold) or by the combined treatment of JH III and antennectomy (al...

BACKGROUND Neonicotinoid insecticides were first used commercially for Colorado potato beetle [Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae] control in the United States in 1995, and since then have been critical for management of this pest. Field populations from the northeastern and midwestern United States were tested from 1998 to 2010 for susceptibility to imidacloprid and thi...

Plants respond to pest attack, among other mechanisms, by producing specific proteins with insecticidal properties. Proteins toxic effects on insects have also been discovered in many organisms, especially fungi and bacteria. Due their biological function, represent an important potential the development of more environmentally friendly plant protection methods. Increasing knowledge about mode ...