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Japanese beetle – Popillia japonica (Newman)

A coordinated response to eradicate Japanese beetle in British Columbia

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (AFF), the cities of Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, and other industry and non-governmental stakeholders, are working together to respond to the detections of Japanese beetle in Burnaby, Port Coquitlam and Vancouver in 2021. Japanese beetle was first detected in British Columbia (BC) in 2017, in the False Creek area of Vancouver.

Learn more about the CFIA’s eradication response and movement controls in BC.

Japanese beetle

Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, is an invasive plant pest that was first introduced to eastern North America from Japan in 1916. This insect can significantly damage landscape plants, ornamental plants, fruit and vegetable gardens, nurseries, orchards, and agricultural crops. Japanese beetle larvae feed on the roots of turf grass and other plants. Adults are heavy feeders, attacking the flowers, foliage and fruit of more than 300 plant species, including roses, blueberries and grapevines.

What information is available

Directives

Plant pest card: Japanese beetle

PDF (1,452 kb)

Credit card side 1: 2 Japanese beetles, an arrow pointing to 12 white tufts of hair along the sides and rear, a silhouette showing the actual size. For suspect specimens, visit www.inspection.gc.ca/pests
Credit card side 2: Japanese beetle on skeletonized foliage, dead grass caused by larval feeding, and a C-shaped larva (20 mm). Copyright 2015 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. For suspect specimens, visit www.inspection.gc.ca/pests

Text version

Adult: Oval outline from above, almost 10 mm long and 6 mm wide, abdomen, thorax and head metallic green with metallic copper-brown wing coverings and contrasting 12 white tufts of hair along the sides and rear of the abdomen.

Larva: a typical C-shaped creamy white grub with a yellowish-brown head (20 mm).

Signs of Japanese beetle include skeletonized foliage and dead grass caused by larval feeding.

© 2015 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Aussi disponible en français. Use without permission is prohibited. Photo credits: J. Baker, D. Cappaert, S. Katovich (Bugwood.org), CFIA. Please report suspect specimens.

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