Local History

Japanese beetle was first detected in BC in 2017, in the False Creek area of Vancouver. In 2021, it was detected in Burnaby, Port Coquitlam and Vancouver.

Japanese beetle is an invasive, regulated pest that feeds on the roots of turf grass, and on the foliage of more than 300 plant species, including: roses, fruit trees, grapevines, and other common landscape and food plants. If this pest spreads, it could cause serious harm to the local agricultural sector and ecosystem, and will cause significant damage to lawns, landscapes, golf courses, gardens and parks.

Identification

Larva: A typical C-shaped creamy white grub with a yellowish-brown head. Less than 25 millimetres in length at maturity; occurring in the fibrous root zone of host plants. The V-shaped arrangement of the last two rows of spines on the last body segment distinguishes this grub from all others.

Pupa: About the same size as the adult and somewhat resembling the adult except that the legs, antennae and wings are closely folded to the body. The body, which at first is a pale cream colour, gradually becomes tan and finally the metallic green of the adult. The pupae are found about 5-8 centimetres beneath the soil surface.

Adult: Oval outline from above, almost 10 millimetres long and 6 millimetres wide, abdomen, thorax and head metallic green with metallic copper-brown wing coverings and contrasting white tufts of hair along the sides and rear of the abdomen, active on warm sunny days from late June to late summer.

Life Cycle

The life cycle of the Japanese beetle is almost identical to the life cycle of the Chafer Beetle. The only way to distinguish between the two is an up close examination of the larvae or adult beetle.