Introduction: The Andean Potato and Its Silent Pest
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) originated in the Andes over 8,000–10,000 years ago and remain a dietary staple, providing up to 80% of calories for millions of highland inhabitants across Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. The region hosts over 4,000 native varieties adapted to diverse altitudes and climates, contributing about 15% of global potato production (approximately20 million tons annually). These smallholder farming systems, often on plots smaller than 0.25 ha, face numerous biotic stresses, with the Andean Potato Weevil (APW) complex (Premnotrypes spp., Rhigopsidius spp.) being the most destructive insect pest at altitudes above 2,800 m.

Andean Potato Weevil
The APW complex causes severe tuber damage, resulting in 16–100% yield losses if uncontrolled, rendering produce unmarketable and worsening poverty and food insecurity. Larval tunneling promotes secondary infections by bacteria and fungi, while adult weevils defoliate plants. Co-evolved with potatoes, these flightless insects synchronize their life cycles with the rainy season, migrating on foot from overwintering sites to infested fields.


