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Japanese beetles (mating)

Popillia japonica

Description:

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.

Habitat:

Meadow

Notes:

I found my first japanese beetle of the year yesterday - today I found about 200!

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7 Comments

Mandy Hollman
Mandy Hollman 11 years ago

haha! that's an interesting strategy.

KarenL
KarenL 11 years ago

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!

Mandy Hollman
Mandy Hollman 11 years ago

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.

KarenL
KarenL 11 years ago

Thanks Atul!
Most gardeners wouldn't agree!

Atul
Atul 11 years ago

wow cool!

KarenL
KarenL 11 years ago

Thanks Bernadette! Yes all over one small wild rose which they had almost stripped bare!

Bernadette S
Bernadette S 11 years ago

Nice spotting - and interesting info! 200 of them - wow!

KarenL
Spotted by
KarenL

Franklin, Tennessee, USA

Spotted on May 30, 2012
Submitted on May 31, 2012

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