Air Potato Leaf Beetle

The Air Potato Leaf Beetle (Lilioceris cheni) is a newcomer to the state of Florida, having been released into the wild starting in 2012. This beetle comes to us from Asia, but unlike many other non-native creatures, this beetle is considered a biological control rather than an invasive exotic.

The Lilioceris beetle has been released in Florida to combat a very real pest, the Air Potato vine (Dioscorea bulbifera). Air Potato was first introduced to Florida around 1905 and quickly took hold an an invasive exotic plant. Not only is Air Potato an incredibly fast growing species, but it also propagates itself readily by dropping potato like bulbs called bulbils that sprout just about anywhere they land. Air Potato has been measured to grow as much as 8 inches in one day! This vine can quickly become out of control, displace native species and decimate forests.

Before being released, the Air Potato Leaf Beetle was rigorously observed and tested by the USDA /ARS Invasive Plant Research Laboratory in Fort Lauderdale. The insect was determined to be a true specialist, only consuming Air Potato and requiring this species to complete its life cycle. Lilioceris beetles have been released at a number of parks throughout the state of Florida where Air Potato is a major pest. Significant damage to Air Potato has been noted as quickly as three months after the release of these beetles.

Now, this species of beetle has a new home at MOSI Outside. Although not released at this site, this species has found our troublesome Air Potato vines and has begun some serious remediation work. We have started to notice leaf damage on this invasive plant and upon closer look discovered that a fine collection of the bright red beetles had gone to town on both the leaves and the bulbs of our Air Potato vines.

Each female beetle can lay up to 1200 eggs, so it's likely that with our vast quantities of Air Potato, MOSI Outside will very soon be host to thousands of new volunteer Air Potato removers. We'll keep an eye on their work and let you know about their progress!