Britain's potato farmers face a battle with a menace which has not been seen in our fields since the Queen's silver jubilee year.
Colorado beetles, which swarm like a plague of locusts and can devastate crops, were last recorded in the UK in 1977- a year after one of the hottest summers and worst droughts in living memory.
Farmers thought they'd seen the last of the pest which can completely strip the leaves from potato plants. But to their horror, DEFRA said today that a Colorado potato beetle has been found in Kent.
Farmers have been urged to 'remain vigilant because the pest poses a significant threat to potato crops'. If Britain's spud crops are devastated, more will have to be imported from abroad and it will push up prices in the shops.
Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha) say the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) larvae was found in a crop of potatoes in Kent.
The agency is working closely with the affected grower to eradicate the pest from the field, including performing a 1km survey to determine whether there are further cases beyond the immediately infested area.
They warn that if not destroyed in time, Colorado potato beetles are a significant threat to potato crops.
The adult beetles and larvae feed on the foliage of potatoes and can completely strip them of their leaves if they are left uncontrolled.
UK chief plant health officer Nicola Spence said " `While 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."
The beetle is bright yellow or orange with black stripes and is usually 8.5-11.5mm in length and 3mm wide. Its larvae are a reddish brown in colour, round and globular, up to 15mm in length.
Although distinctive in appearance, there are several beetles that are frequently mistaken for them. A Defra factsheet (PDF) is available to help with identification.
Apha said that the beetles were occasionally imported into the UK from continental Europe as 'hitchhikers' on non-host plant material, such as leafy vegetables, salad leaves, fresh herbs and grains.
But the threat from the Kent field is different and far more serious because they have appeared on a crop of growing potatoes.
In the past 70 years, there have been two UK outbreaks of the pest, one in 1976 and one in 1977. Both outbreaks were eradicated shortly after detection.
The beetle is not native to the UK and is currently regulated as a Great Britain quarantine pest, with import and movement restrictions in place for susceptible host material.
The British potato industry is estimated to be worth more than £700 million a year, with almost six million tonnes of spuds produced.
The origins of the beetle aren't clear but they got their name in 1865 when some were identified in Colorado, USA.
