Compositions and methods for conferring pesticidal activity to bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues and seeds are provided. In particular, methods for killing or controlling a coleopteran pest population, particularly a corn rootworm pest population, are provided. The methods include contacting the coleopteran pest with a pesticidally-effective amount of a polypeptide comprising a coleopteran toxin, particularly a corn rootworm toxin. Further included are methods for increasing yield in plants by expressing the toxin of the invention.