Popillia japonica
Abbreviation: N/A
Japanese beetle is present in: Japan and is widely distributed in China, Russia, Portugal, Canada, and the eastern United States.
Japanese beetle is a pest of the following plants: over 300 plant species.
Primary hosts: Acer (maples), Asparagus officinalis (asparagus), Glycine max (soybean), Malus (ornamental species apple), Prunus (stone fruit including plums, peaches, etc.), Rheum hybridum (rhubarb), Rosa (roses), Rubus (blackberry, raspberry), Tilia (limes), Ulmus (elms), Vitis (grapes), Zea mays (corn).
Secondary hosts: Aesculus (buckeyes), Althaea (hollyhocks), Betula (birches), Castanea (chestnuts), Hibiscus (rosemallows), Juglans nigra (American walnut), Platanus (planes), Populus (poplars), Salix (willow), Sassafras albidum (common sassafras), Sorbus americana (American mountain ash), turf grasses.
Wild hosts: Lagerstroemia indica (crepe myrtle), Polygonum (knotweed/smartweed).
Evidence of Japanese beetle damage includes: adults and larvae cause damage on foliage and flowers and are most active on warm sunny days. The feeding on the upper leaf surface usually results in skeletonization. The grubs, which primarily feed on roots of grasses, cause considerable damage to pasture, lawns, and golf courses. Feeding damage on roots reduces the ability of grass to take up enough water to withstand stresses of hot and dry weather, and result in dead patches.
CBP Agriculture Specialists, please refer to manuals for general inspection guidelines.
Adult beetles are 10 to 12 millimeters (mm) long; their color is shiny metallic green with coppery-brown elytra. The beetles can be readily recognized by the presence of six small patches of white along each side and the back of the abdomen, just under the edges of the elytra.
Japanese beetle has been intercepted on foreign arriving aircraft from Asia.
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