Do false potato beetles do the same harm as potato beetles?
No, false potato beetles do not do the same harm as potato beetles do. The insect in question (Leptinotarsa juncta) feeds upon the perceived weeds in the Solanaceae family of nightshades: ground cherry, horse-nettle, husk tomato, and woody nightshade. The potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) contrastingly is known as a serious agricultural pest of eggplants and tomatoes.