The harmful Colorado potato beetle slides off lychee leaves. | Image: Edwin Remsberg/VWPics/Getty Images

Microscopically small structures on lychee leaves prevent beetles from getting a grip on them. This natural form of insect control has been an inspiration to Johannes Bergmann from the University of Fribourg. He has now demonstrated that spraying cellulose particles on plants makes it difficult for the harmful Colorado potato beetle to find a foothold. It’s even more effective than lychee leaves themselves. For it to work, you have to use microparticles smaller than a hundredth of a millimetre, and the leaves have to have enough creases in them. Bergmann believes that this environmentally friendly method can be developed for practical use in agriculture.

J. Bergmann et al.: Insect Antiadhesive Surfaces Using Electrosprayed Wrinkled Ethyl Cellulose Particles. Applied Materials and Interfaces (2021)