Living Japanese Beetles Discovered in Germany
It falls over orchards, vineyards, forests, green spaces, and gardens. The Asian-origin Japanese beetle is a pest that has also made itself at home in Europe. After the discovery of a colony in Switzerland, individual specimens have also been caught by researchers in Baden-Württemberg.
For the first time this year, live Japanese beetles have been discovered in Baden-Württemberg. Individual male specimens were caught in traps set by the Plant Protection Service in Freiburg and the Ludwigsburg district, as announced by the Agricultural Technology Centre Augustenberg (LTZ) in Karlsruhe.
The Asian-origin Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is classified as a pest in the European Union that can cause significant damage. They fall upon orchards, vineyards, forests, green spaces, and gardens, and can strip over 300 plant species bare. There are no natural predators here. Experts at the LTZ have been concerned for some time. A few weeks ago, a larger colony of Japanese beetles was discovered in Switzerland near the border. However, the individual findings now in Baden-Württemberg, further from the border, have not triggered any special protective measures, said LTZ Plant Health expert Frauke Rinke. Since 2021, there have been individual findings each year, with the insects likely having been introduced, for example via trucks. This is also suspected now. The Plant Protection Service has immediately increased the number of traps in the affected areas to ensure that there are indeed only individual findings.
The Japanese beetle is only about one centimeter long, has a metallic, shiny green head and brown wings. Notable are five white hair tufts on each side of the abdomen and two white hair tufts at the end of the abdomen.
The presence of Japanese beetles in Baden-Württemberg and Switzerland has raised concerns about the protection of vulnerable plant species. Implementing protective measures is crucial to prevent extensive harm to orchards, vineyards, forests, green spaces, and gardens.
The European Union has classified the Asian-origin Japanese beetle as a pest, necessitating protective measures to safeguard native plant species from potential damage.
