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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #428633
Research Project: Sustainable Management of Arthropod Pests in Horticultural Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit

Title: Sublethal effects of potato plant defenses induced via synthetic elicitors against the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Author
item BUTCHER, ALEXANDER - Oregon State University
item Lee, Jana
item RONDON, SILVIA - Oregon State University

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2026
Publication Date: 3/11/2026
Citation: Butcher, A.M., Lee, J.C., Rondon, S.I. 2026. Sublethal effects of potato plant defenses induced via synthetic elicitors against the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Journal of Insect Science. 26(2). Article ieag013. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieag013.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieag013

Interpretive Summary: Colorado potato beetle (CPB) is a serious pest of potatoes worldwide. CPB has developed resistance to several insecticides and is a challenge to manage. Natural plant defenses can protect potatoes from herbivores but they may not be turned on. Commercially available plant elicitors that activate these defenses were examined for their impact on CPB. A jasominic acid elicitor was able to reduce feeding by CPB and slow the pest's growth. This represents a less toxic alternative for controlling CPB, that may be rotated into a pest management program.

Technical Abstract: The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) is among the most destructive insect pests of potato Solanum tuberosum L. worldwide. While conventional chemical controls have repeatedly failed to control this pest due to the rapid development of resistance, elicitor-based enhancement of plant defenses offers a promising complementary approach. Hence, this study evaluated the effects of three commercially available plant defense elicitors: Blush 2X (JA-type), Actigard 50WG (SA-type), and Regalia (JA–and SA-type), on L. decemlineata larval fitness across two phenological stages of ‘Russet Burbank’ potatoes, with and without green peach aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer) co-infestation. Jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA), the two central phytohormones orchestrating plant responses to biotic stress. Defoliation, larval development, weight, and excretion rates were assessed through a combination of a series of greenhouse bioassays. Blush 2X significantly reduced defoliation and delayed larval development, supporting the role of JA signaling in mediating antifeedant defenses. In contrast, high-rate Actigard 50WG increased defoliation and excretion while reducing larval weight, suggesting altered sugar allocation and a potential diuretic effect. Aphid presence induced signal interference, modifying elicitor efficacy in a stage-dependent manner. These findings highlight the potential of elicitor treatments to enhance integrated pest management strategies for L. decemlineata, while underscoring the importance of plant phenology, signal crosstalk, and ecological context in optimizing their deployment.