colorado beetle
Preserved but no longer current.
This beetle, which is the terror of the potato-grower, for it will devas- tate.whole fields, was first observed in the Rocky Mountain regions in 1 859. It has since spread over large areas of America and has made its way at times into Europe, despite the most stringent precautions taken by the govern- ments of the countries threatened.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “colorado beetle” mean?
This beetle, which is the terror of the potato-grower, for it will devas- tate.whole fields, was first observed in the Rocky Mountain regions in 1 859. It has since spread over large areas of America and has made its way at times into Europe, despite the most stringent precautions taken by the govern- ments of the countries threatened.
Is “colorado beetle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.