The Colorado potato beetle is native to the Rocky Mountain region. The beetle originally fed on a wild plant called buffalo bur, a cousin of the potato. When settlers began growing potatoes on Colorado’s front range, the beetle switched hosts and quickly became a devastating pest. In 1859 Scientists first documented its crop damage here, and the name Colorado Potato Beetle stuck. The beetle soon spread east across North America and eventually overseas—proof that a small insect can change agriculture simply by finding a new favorite plant.
Growing Home - The Colorado Potato Beetle
