EN

Japanese Beetle
POPILLIA JAPONICA

Europe is currently facing the spread of the Japanese beetle, an invasive species that can cause massive damage to agriculture.

The spread of the Japanese beetle in Europe

Since the Japanese beetle was first spotted in Northern Italy in 2014, it has progressively expanded its range, and population levels have increased. Three years later, it was detected for the first time at the southern border of Switzerland in 2017, and continued to spread northwards.
In 2023, the Japanese beetle was found for the first time north of the Alps (near Zurich). The infested zone is rather small, and the low numbers of beetles caught indicate that the outbreak was detected at its very beginning. Another new outbreak, made official in 2023, was detected in Italy in the Friuli Venezia 
Giulia region. Both outbreaks are separate from the main infested zone. A third outbreak was detected in the southernmost region of the canton Valais in 
Switzerland. Unlike the other two newly infested areas, this outbreak is linked to the Italian infested zone in the Ossola Valley. In addition, more than 1,500 beetles have been detected in the 2023 survey, indicating that Popillia japonica was already established there in the year(s) before detection of the outbreak.


About IPM Popillia

The IPM-Popillia initiative creates sustainable ways to control the spread of the Japanese beetle
and prevent high population concentrations that harm crops in Continental Europe.

IPM-Popillia provides tools and advice on how to manage the pest on a larger, European continental scale, and on how to be better prepared for similar pest invasions in the future.


Host plants of the Japanese beetle

The Japanese beetle has over 400 different host plants / crops, implying a wide variety of plants to feed on. Some of these host plants / crops, such as vines, small fruits, corn or soybean, are of major socio-economic importance. Other hosts are landscape trees, as linden and birch, or ornamental plants such as rose, wisteria, marshmallow.

Usually, there is one generation of Japanese beetles per year. The larvae hibernate in the soil. 
As soil temperatures rise in early spring, they move closer to the surface and start feeding on roots. The adult beetles emerge from Mid-May to Mid-July and are active until September.
The first wave of beetles occurs towards the end of June, with the peak flight activity predominantly observed during the first weeks of July.


A Call for Action

The public can do its part to support scientists finding a sustainable solution against the Popillia japonica spread. With the IPM Citizen Science App, everyone can report sightings of beetles in their gardens, farms or public spaces, simply by using a smartphone. 
The submitted photos of beetles and the provided information will help to understand how the Japanese beetle spreads and find new ways to stop or contain it. Especially farmers are a key element for the project. Using the IPM App in agricultural areas will provide valueable information on the spread of the beetles, their host plants, and the level of damage done.
The IPM App is available at www.popillia.eu for Android and iPhones. Download the App today, join the user community, and share your observations with the IPM-Popillia project!

Co-Use of the IPM Toolkit

We are inviting Plant Health Services, institutions, and national stakeholders to utilizing the IPM App in your country for modern monitoring and citizen engagement.
The IPM App stand ready for collaborations to enable both experts and the public to report on invasive species sightings.

Within the project, it is possible to set up country-based Data Administration access and provide data export and data connectors to work independently with the App and co-use the project.
The App toolkit is also able to integrate experts like entomologists for species ID confirmation and is capable of sending automated reports to national plant health authorities for confirmed species sightings.

We can integrate addtional invasive and controlled pest species in the App to extend on the scope in collaborations for monitoring, awareness creation, and public engagement.

Furthermore, a range of interaction, communication and community-building tools, and a full-feature AI Tool for in-App species identification, are already integrated into the toolkit for working with both experts and the local population, disseminating news and updates, and building an active user community. 
Link & Contact: https://www.popillia.eu/about-the-project/collaborations/co-use-collaboration