Solanaceae-specialist
Guides
Epitrix tuberis
tuber flea beetle
Epitrix tuberis is a small flea beetle species native to western North America, first described by Gentner in 1944. It is the most damaging of five Epitrix species associated with potato cultivation in North America. The species completes two generations annually and has been expanding its range into Central and South America in association with potato industry development. Adults and larvae both feed on Solanaceous plants, with larvae causing economically significant damage to potato tubers.
Keiferia lycopersicella
Tomato Pinworm
Keiferia lycopersicella, the tomato pinworm, is a gelechiid moth and significant agricultural pest of Solanaceae crops. Native to warm regions of the Americas, it has expanded its range through greenhouse production and international trade. The species completes seven to eight generations annually in favorable climates. Larvae are leaf miners and fruit borers, causing direct damage to tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes. Adults communicate via sex pheromones, with synthetic lures used for monitoring and management.
Lema
Lema is a genus of leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Criocerinae, established by Fabricius in 1798. The genus includes species that feed on plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), with some species such as Lema daturaphila (three-lined potato beetle) known as agricultural pests. Members of this genus have evolved physiological adaptations to tolerate toxic alkaloids present in their host plants.
Lema daturaphila
Three-lined Potato Beetle
Lema daturaphila, the three-lined potato beetle, is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. Native to Central and North America, it has spread to other regions including Africa and Oceania. Adults measure 7–8 mm and display bright orange-yellow coloration with three dark longitudinal stripes on the elytra. The species is a specialist herbivore of Solanaceae plants, particularly Datura species, though it occasionally feeds on agricultural crops such as tomato, potato, and eggplant. Larvae are slug-like with black heads and exhibit a distinctive defense behavior of covering themselves with excrement.
Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Colorado potato beetle, Colorado beetle, ten-striped spearman, ten-lined potato beetle, potato bug
Leptinotarsa decemlineata is a major agricultural pest of potato and other solanaceous crops, causing approximately half a billion dollars in annual crop losses globally. Native to Mexico and originally associated with buffalo bur (Solanum rostratum), it shifted to potato as a host around 1860 and subsequently expanded its range across North America, Europe, and Asia. The species is notorious for its rapid evolution of resistance to insecticides, making it a model organism for studying pesticide resistance and integrated pest management strategies. Both larvae and adults feed on foliage, with the fourth instar consuming the most plant material.
Leptinotarsa rubiginosa
reddish potato beetle
Leptinotarsa rubiginosa, the reddish potato beetle, is a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is a congener of the well-known Colorado potato beetle (L. decemlineata) but is considerably less common and less studied. The species occurs in Central America and North America, with documented observations in the southwestern United States including Arizona. It has been collected from vegetation in canyon and desert grassland habitats.
Phthorimaea
Phthorimaea is a genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae, established by Edward Meyrick in 1902. The genus contains approximately 15 described species distributed across the Americas and other regions. Several species are economically significant agricultural pests, particularly Phthorimaea operculella (potato tuber moth) and Phthorimaea absoluta (South American leafminer/tomato leafminer), which infest Solanaceae crops worldwide. The genus is characterized by its association with nightshade family plants and has been the subject of intensive research due to the invasive potential and management challenges posed by its pest species.