Invasive pest: the Japanese beetle

Japankaefer_adult
Adult Japanese beetle.

The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, has been – in a sense – “standing at the gates” of Switzerland since 2017. This pest was introduced into northern Italy a few years ago, and both the adult beetles and the grubs now pose a threat to Swiss agriculture. Initial trials by Agroscope have shown that the Japanese beetle can also be controlled using entomopathogenic fungi from the Agroscope strain collection. For more information about the Japanese beetle, see: www.popillia.agroscope.ch

Further Information

Combating Japanese Beetles with Fungi

2017: In June, the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) was detected for the first time in Switzerland, in the canton of Ticino. Considered to be a quarantine pest, it is subject to obligatory control. Agroscope researchers are testing whether this quarantine pest can be controlled with fungi that are effective against May and June beetles.

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