Insect · GBIF taxon 4425774
Japanese Beetle
Popillia japonicaAlso known as Japanese Scarab
Metallic green heads and iridescent coppery wing covers make Japanese beetles striking in appearance despite their destructive reputation. Adults skeletonize plant leaves in broad daylight, congregating in dense feeding clusters on sunlit foliage throughout midsummer. Below ground, their C-shaped white grubs spend winter gnawing turfgrass roots before emerging as the next generation.
InvasiveAgricultural PestMetallic
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Rose Leaves
- Grape Leaves
- Turfgrass Roots
Predators
- European Starling
- Parasitoid Wasps
- Moles
ThreatsPesticides, parasitic wasps, fungal pathogens
HabitatsGardens, croplands, turfgrass, suburban yards, orchards
Life span1 year
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderColeoptera
- FamilyScarabaeidae
- GenusPopillia
- SpeciesPopillia japonica
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Harmless to humans; safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Manual Removal: Hand-pick adults early in the morning when cooler temperatures make them sluggish.
- Physical Barriers: Cover vulnerable garden crops with fine mesh netting during peak summer flight periods.
- Trap Placement: Position pheromone traps far from target gardens to avoid attracting extra beetles.
Competitor (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Parasite no rights reserved, uploaded by Kent McFarland · cc0
Close Relative Patrick Coin (Patrick Coin) / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
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