Japanese Beetle

Japanese
Beetle
Popillia japonica
Japanese beetle adults
chew on leaves and
flowers of many plants
Japanese beetle
larvae (grubs) –
Among most
damaging turfgrass
insects in the US
Skunk digging in lawn damaged by
Japanese beetle grubs
Japanese beetle traps
are excellent for
detecting presence of
the insect in an area
6
Japanese Beetle is:
• Established and reproducing in
parts of Front Range Colorado
• Exists in high populations in
limited areas
– Overall, populations remain in very
low at most all sites where detected
• Has shown ability to spread in the
Metro area
Pueblo is the newest JB hot spot
Japanese beetle traps
are not useful for
control of existing
Japanese beetle
infestations!
They can lure high populations of both male and female beetles
into the area and cause more problems than they solve!
Shhh…If you’re going to talk please do so quietly!
Skeletonizing injuries
produced by Japanese
beetle adults
Some Plants most favored by
Japanese Beetle adults
•
•
•
•
Virginia Creeper
Grapes
Roses
Fruit Trees
– Includes crabapple
• American Linden
• American Elm
Recommendations for Control of
Japanese Beetle on Shade Trees and
Shrubs
• Foliar
– Acelepryn
– Azadirachtin-containing neem
products
– Most pyrethroids
– Imidacloprid
Neem
• Extracted from seeds of the neem tree,
Azadirachta indica
• Active Ingredients: Azadirachtin primarily, oil
fractions have some uses.
• Mode of Action: Various – insect growth
regulator, feeding deterrent, repellent
• Current Status: Broadly labeled for food crop
and ornamental plant protection
Neem
Seed
Neem Has Many Human
Pharmaceutical Uses
• Tooth care
• Diuretic
• Burn ointments
Neem
• Extracted from seeds of the neem tree,
Azadirachta indica
• Active Ingredients: Azadirachtin primarily, oil
fractions have some uses.
Whole
need seed
extract
Neem oil Oil fraction
only
Azadirachtin
containing
insecticide
formulations
Common
Horticultural oils
Mineral oils
Horticultural oils may also be
derived from cotton seed,
soybean, sesame, fish, and
many other sources
Neem seed oils
Japanese beetle
larvae (grubs) –
Among most
damaging turfgrass
insects in the US
Recommendations for Japanese
Beetle Larval Control
• Acelepryn
• Insect parasitic nematodes
(Heterorhabditis species)
• Imidacloprid (Merit, etc.)
• Chlothianidin (Arena)
Nematodes enter
insects through
natural openings
Heterorhabditis spp.
nematodes can penetrate
directly through the body
wall
= Heterorhabditis spp.
= Steinernema spp.
Insect Parasitic
Nematodes Can Control
Many Turf Insects
White grubs
Billbugs
Cutworms and sod webworms
Mole crickets
Reddish Color Change from Larva Killed by
Heterorhabditis sp. Nematodes
Some insects are
mistaken for Japanese
beetle in Colorado
Top (left) – False Japanese beetle
(aka ‘sand chafer’)
Top (right) – Bumble flower beetle
Bottom – Apple flea beetle
Japanese Beetle Fact Sheet 5.601
New 2013 Fact Sheet includes
recommendations on controls