As its name implies, Japanese beetles of the scarab beetle family are indigenous to Japan. While not a major pest in its country of origin due to effective biological control, this beetle has migrated and became a huge threat in North America, infesting over 300 plant species.
Size: 1.5 cm
Color: These beetles have a bright appearance due to their color combination – a metallic green head and thorax, and a copper-colored elytra partially covering their abdomen.
Other Characteristic Features: A row of white tufts of hair can be seen protruding on both col3s of their abdomen under their elytra.
The grub is a creamy white with a yellowish-brown head. It appears translucent, and its body has brown setae and short spines all over. A set of dark, strong mandibles is present on the top of its head.
When resting, the larva is C-shaped. Its body consists of 13 segments, 10 on the abdomen, and 3 on their thorax. The segments that make up the thorax each have a pair of legs too.
The pupa ranges from pale cream to metallic green and is 0.7-1.4 cm long. Pupation takes place incol3 an earthen cell constructed by the larva in its final instar.
They range from creamy to off-white and are usually 1.5 mm long. The shapes of these eggs vary from ellipsoid to spherical to even cylindrical at times.
| Lifespan | 30-45 days |
| Distribution | Native: Japan Invasive: North America, mainly Canada and the United States |
| Habitat | Gardens, fields, forests, and meadows |
| Predators | Tachinid flies, some birds, raccoons, skunks, etc |
| Seasons active | Late June through August or September |
| Diet of adults | Leaves of plants such as birch, canna, crape myrtles, grapes, hops, linden trees, rose bushes, etc |
Mature larvae feed on the roots of host plants, causing severe damage over time, while adults skeletonize leaves in groups as well as any fruit that may have grown. Adult beetles generally start feeding on leaves growing on the top of the infected plant, which is a sign of a Japanese beetle infestation.
The beetle’s range appears to be increasing. It has been spotted in large numbers in Wyoming and Washington in the United States, two places where there were no or scarce reported sightings before. Washington had just three of them initially which rose drastically in 2020, with about 20,000 of them thriving in Grandview alone.
Image Source: fastactionpestcontrol.com, pbs.twimg.com, extension.umn.edu, ipm.missouri.edu, entnemdept.ufl.edu, media.istockphoto.com, gardendesign.com, gardentech.com
As its name implies, Japanese beetles of the scarab beetle family are indigenous to Japan. While not a major pest in its country of origin due to effective biological control, this beetle has migrated and became a huge threat in North America, infesting over 300 plant species.
Size: 1.5 cm
Color: These beetles have a bright appearance due to their color combination – a metallic green head and thorax, and a copper-colored elytra partially covering their abdomen.
Other Characteristic Features: A row of white tufts of hair can be seen protruding on both col3s of their abdomen under their elytra.
The grub is a creamy white with a yellowish-brown head. It appears translucent, and its body has brown setae and short spines all over. A set of dark, strong mandibles is present on the top of its head.
When resting, the larva is C-shaped. Its body consists of 13 segments, 10 on the abdomen, and 3 on their thorax. The segments that make up the thorax each have a pair of legs too.
The pupa ranges from pale cream to metallic green and is 0.7-1.4 cm long. Pupation takes place incol3 an earthen cell constructed by the larva in its final instar.
They range from creamy to off-white and are usually 1.5 mm long. The shapes of these eggs vary from ellipsoid to spherical to even cylindrical at times.
| Lifespan | 30-45 days |
| Distribution | Native: Japan Invasive: North America, mainly Canada and the United States |
| Habitat | Gardens, fields, forests, and meadows |
| Predators | Tachinid flies, some birds, raccoons, skunks, etc |
| Seasons active | Late June through August or September |
| Diet of adults | Leaves of plants such as birch, canna, crape myrtles, grapes, hops, linden trees, rose bushes, etc |
Mature larvae feed on the roots of host plants, causing severe damage over time, while adults skeletonize leaves in groups as well as any fruit that may have grown. Adult beetles generally start feeding on leaves growing on the top of the infected plant, which is a sign of a Japanese beetle infestation.
The beetle’s range appears to be increasing. It has been spotted in large numbers in Wyoming and Washington in the United States, two places where there were no or scarce reported sightings before. Washington had just three of them initially which rose drastically in 2020, with about 20,000 of them thriving in Grandview alone.
Image Source: fastactionpestcontrol.com, pbs.twimg.com, extension.umn.edu, ipm.missouri.edu, entnemdept.ufl.edu, media.istockphoto.com, gardendesign.com, gardentech.com
