Colorado potato beetle larvae has been found in Kent for a second time, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has confirmed.
On Friday, August 11, a single adult male Colorado beetle was found within the 1km surveillance zone in Kent.
This finding follows beetle larvae which was identified in a field in Kent in mid-July.
If the pest is not eradicated, it can pose a “significant threat to potato crops”, Defra said.
“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. However, they are not a threat to human or animal health,” it said.
No additional colony has been detected and, given the estimated age of the beetle, the department has said it likely “dispersed from the original site”.
Defra and APHA said surveillance for any possible undetected colonies will continue within the 1km surveillance zone.
The UK’s chief plant health officer, Nicola Spence, said: “Following a report, our experts have identified the presence of Colorado beetle larvae in a potato field in Kent.
“We are responding swiftly through our eradication programme, involving ground surveillance to look for beetles and larvae at the outbreak site and surrounding area.
“Whilst this pest does not pose a threat to human health, we encourage all growers, farmers, processors and the public to remain vigilant and report any sightings, especially in Kent.”
Confirmation that the beetle was a Colorado potato beetle was made following laboratory diagnosis of samples taken by APHA’s plant health and seeds inspectorate.
Colorado potato beetle
This is the first time an outbreak of the Colorado potato beetle has been confirmed in the UK since 1977.
Farmers and growers are being encouraged to remain vigilant for signs of the beetle.
It 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.
Defra said the beetles are occasionally imported into the UK from continental Europe as “hitchhikers” on non-host plant material, like leafy vegetables, salad leaves, fresh herbs and grain.
In the past 70 years, there have been two outbreaks of Colorado potato beetles in the UK, one in 1976 and one in 1977. Both outbreaks were eradicated shortly after detection.
