Beetle larvae identified in a field in Kent on Tuesday 11th July have been confirmed by Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as Colorado potato beetle.
Colorado potato beetles are a significant threat to potato crops. The adult beetles and larvae feed on the foliage of potato and other plants in the nightshade family and can completely strip them of their leaves if they are left uncontrolled.
The beetle is not endemic to the UK and is currently regulated as a Great Britain quarantine pest and this is the first time they have been found in the UK since 1977.
Farmers and growers in particular are being encouraged to remain vigilant for signs of the pest. The beetle is bright yellow or orange with black stripes and is usually between 8.5-11.5mm in length and 3mm in width. Its larvae are a reddish brown in colour, round and globular, and up to 15mm in length.