Toxicity of a new strain of Bacillus thuringiensis to Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

A new strain of Bacillus thuringiensis var. san diego is toxic to Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), larvae in the laboratory and the diesld. B. thuringiensis var. san diego is not toxic to a variety of beneficial insects; for this reason, this strain could aid growers in the transition from heavy to low insecticide use for management of Colorado potato beetle. We present laboratory toxicity data, a standardized method for quantifying activities and field trial results for B. thuringiensis var. san diego against Colorado potato beetle, and discuss possible management of this insect with B. thuringiensis var. san diego