The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman) is a highly destructive plant pest of foreign origin. It was first found in the United States in a nursery in southern New Jersey in 1916. In its native Japan, where the beetle’s natural enemies keep its populations in check, this insect is not a serious plant pest. In the United States, however, the Japanese beetle entered without its natural enemies and founda favorable climate and an abundant food supply. By 1972, Japanese beetle infestations had been reported in 22 States east of the Mississippi River and also in Arkansas, Iowa, and Missouri. Since then, the pest has spread to Southern and Western States, but tough regulations and careful monitoring have prevented its establishment there. Without its natural checks and balances, the Japanese beetle has become a serious plant pest and a threat to American agriculture.
Both as adults and as grubs (the larval stage), Japanese beetles are destructive plant pests. Adults feed on the foliage and fruits of several hundred species of fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, and field and vegetable crops. Adults leave behind skeletonized leaves and large, irregular holes in leaves. The grubs develop in the soil, feeding on the roots of various plants and grasses and often destroying turf in lawns, parks, golf courses, and pastures. Today, the Japanese beetle is the most widespread turf-grass pest in the United States. Efforts to control the larval and adult stages are estimated to cost more than $460 million a year. Losses attributable to the larval stage alone have been estimated at $234 million per year—$78 million for control costs and an additional $156 million for replacement of damaged turf.
The adult Japanese beetle is a little less than 1/2 inch long and has a shiny, metallic-green body with bronze colored outer wings. The males usually are slightly smaller than the females. You are most likely to see the adults in late spring or early summer.
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