Popillia japonica

Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae

Identification
• Adult is a stout, ³/₈-¹/₂" long, metallic green beetle with coppery wing covers.
• Larva is a C-shaped, white grub up to 1" long.

Damage
• Adults eat holes and window-feed on the leaves of rose, linden, crabapple, birch, and other trees and shrubs.
• Grubs feed on grass roots causing dieback and browning of turf. (See White Grubs card).

Management
• Hand-pick the adult beetles.
• Insecticides are somewhat effective against the beetles.
• Treat only obviously damaged plants in the landscape;  these beetles are unlikely to harm the health of established plants.
• Plant less susceptible ornamentals such as red maple, winged euonymous, ash, lilac, dogwood, mock orange, forsythia, yellow poplar, and conifers.
• Because adults can fly ¹/₂ mile or more, larval control is unlikely to reduce adult beetle damage.
• Beetle traps attract more beetles to the yard and result in more damage than not using them.