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Popillia japonica
The Japanese beetle is about 15 millimetres long and 10 millimetres wide, with iridescent copper-colored elytra and green thorax and head. It is not very destructive in Japan, where it is controlled by natural predators, but in America it is a serious pest of about 200 species of plants, including rose bushes, grapes, hops, canna, crape myrtles, and others. These insects damage plants by skeletonizing the foliage, that is, consuming only the leaf material between the veins.
Meadow
I found my first japanese beetle of the year yesterday - today I found about 200!
7 Comments
haha! that's an interesting strategy.
I've heard that the traps just bring in more beetles! Apparently the thing to do is to encourage your neighbors to use them - then you entice all the beetles away from your property!
Good spotting! Yes, it's too bad these beautiful beetles do such damage. I used to get so sad about the beetle traps in our yard that my dad let me take the bags to the park and let the beetles go! It completely defeated the purpose of the traps, since that park was very close by. But it was awesome to dump the bag and watch a crawling ball of iridescent green explode in all directions as they flew away.
Thanks Atul!
Most gardeners wouldn't agree!
wow cool!
Thanks Bernadette! Yes all over one small wild rose which they had almost stripped bare!
Nice spotting - and interesting info! 200 of them - wow!