Good bug or bad bug on potato

Nicola 6/29/2021, 6:21 pm

All I know is it’s really strange looking, and it is NOT a striped Colorado potato beetle. That’s all I found online when I tried to search - apparently there is only one type of bug that likes to go onto potato plants, or so it seems.

Nicola 6/29/2021, 6:24 pm

OhioGardener 6/29/2021, 7:05 pm

Was anything sprayed on those larva, or is that just the way you found them?

**Scorpio Rising** 6/29/2021, 7:28 pm

Looks like an instar form or some early baby bug….I have never seen these. We need Beetles! I will look around—what time of day? Are they doing damage?

Nicola 6/30/2021, 9:39 am

OhioGardener wrote:Was anything sprayed on those larva, or is that just the way you found them?

No, I haven’t sprayed anything on my potatoes. That’s just how it looked. And I only saw the one, ‘cause we were about to leave to go shopping. (With the heat wave, I wasn’t about to stay outside long enough to see if there were others.)

Nicola 6/30/2021, 10:14 am

Scorpio Rising wrote:Looks like an instar form or some early baby bug….I have never seen these. We need Beetles! I will look around—what time of day? Are they doing damage?

Yes, I was thinking how ladybugs look alligator-like before the familiar beetle form. It was just before I posted (so maybe 7ish pm.) No, I haven’t noticed any damage - just the unrelated “My big storage bin/planter needs a lot more soil, Mel’s Mix, grass clippings, whatever - to grow a lot of potatoes- than I realized!
Btw, have I missed something about loss of beetle populations?

**Scorpio Rising** 7/1/2021, 8:30 pm

If no damage, I’d watchfully wait and see.

**sanderson** 7/14/2021, 1:50 pm

Mexican lac scale?

**Scorpio Rising** 7/14/2021, 5:12 pm

Nicola wrote:
Scorpio Rising wrote:Looks like an instar form or some early baby bug….I have never seen these. We need Beetles! I will look around—what time of day? Are they doing damage?
Yes, I was thinking how ladybugs look alligator-like before the familiar beetle form. It was just before I posted (so maybe 7ish pm.) No, I haven’t noticed any damage - just the unrelated “My big storage bin/planter needs a lot more soil, Mel’s Mix, grass clippings, whatever - to grow a lot of potatoes- than I realized!
Btw, have I missed something about loss of beetle populations?

Lol, no, she is a member, good bug identifier!

Cherbear 8/29/2021, 9:01 am

Tortoise beetle. Plagiometriona clavata i dont know how severe they are.

Cherbear 8/29/2021, 9:03 am

So not a good bug...but u don't think they are a significant enough pest to worry about Apparently they do live on tomatoes and their relatives.

Sponsored content

Good bug or bad bug on potato

Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato

Re: Good bug or bad bug on potato


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.