Overwintering habitats of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), in Wisconsin’s Central Sands production area

In recent years, researchers have generated new information about the spatial population dynamics, dispersal, and movement patterns of the Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB). Limited information exists documenting the overwintering population dynamics of this economically important insect and habitat factors influencing survivorship. The focus of our project has been to document and quantify the dispersal biology of CPB from landscape elements serving as preferential overwintering habitats. The composition and scale of heterogeneous, fragmented habitats surrounding potato fields has been quantified using geographic information systems. Combining this information with consecutive years of pest scouting data will greatly improve our understanding of the infestation progress of over-wintered CPB. Sample locations consist of 40 commercial potato fields each with 16, geo-referenced systematic data points appended with weekly scouting data. Compilation of spatially explicit infestation and scouting data, land use information, and spectral information into a GIS database will lead to an accurate identification of preferential over-wintering habitats of adult CPB. A more complete characterization of preferred diapause sites will lead to focused deployment and increased effectiveness of early and late season cultural control tactics. Ultimately, this integrated approach will contribute new information towards the development of profitable, sustainable, and environmentally sound potato production in Wisconsin, the U.S, and the world.