|
|
|
DISTRIBUTION Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica Newman) Family: Scarabaeidae was brought into New Jersey from Japan in 1916. Japanese Beetles are now common in most states east of the Mississippi River. First found in Tennessee in 1936, most of Tennessee is now infested with Japanese Beetle. A few counties in the western portion of the state are not known to have Japanese Beetle. These counties include: Chester, Dyer, Fayette, Hardeman, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion, and Tipton. See the 2006 Tennessee Japanese Beetle Quarantine Map. States infested include: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Maine, Minnesota, Tennessee and Wisconsin are only partially infested. LIFE CYCLE Adult beetles are approx. 3/8 inches long and metallic green with coppery wing covers. Grubs are 2 cm in length and can be determined from other scarab beetles by the “V” shaped arrangement of spines on the raster. Japanese beetles can survive in areas where the mean soil temperatures are between 63°F and 81° F and mean winter soil temperature above 15°F. Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) have one generation per year in the United States. Adults emerge beginning in late May and feed throughout July and August. Japanese beetles usually feed and mate between 9AM and 3PM on warm sunny days and return to the soil in the evening. After mating, eggs are laid in the top 2-3 inches of soil and adult females die within 30 to 45 days. Each female adult can lay 40-60 eggs. The elliptical eggs hatch in 10-14 days. First instar larvae feed for 2-3 weeks before molting to the second instar. Three to four weeks later these C shaped white grubs molt into the third instar. Grubs overwinter as third instar larvae and pupate to adults in the spring of the year. DAMAGE In its native Japan, Japanese Beetles are not considered a pest because there is little pasture and turf grass available for grub feeding. When introduced to the United States the Japanese Beetle found ample space and food for its population to explode. Larvae feed mainly on roots of grasses but also have been found feeding on tender roots of young nursery stock. The adults feed on the leaves of nearly 300 species of plants including vegetables, field crops and nursery stock. Preferred hosts include foliage and fruit of elm, maple, horsechestnut, birch, walnut, grape vine, peach, apple, apricot, cherry, plum, rose, zinnia, corn, asparagus, soybean, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Adult damage is recognized by the skeletonized appearance of the host leaves. MANAGEMENT Trapping: Traps should be placed 200 feet away from the plants you wish to protect. Although closer placement would seem more logical, the pheromone in the trap will attract more beetles to your plants as well as the trap. Remove beetles from the traps on a regular basis to prevent the stench of dead beetles. Milky Disease: The bacteria Bacillus popilliae is the causal agent of Milky Disease. Japanese Beetle is the exclusive host of Bacillus popilliae. Grub populations must be correctly identified and heavy enough to sustain the bacterial culture in the soil. This treatment is recommended only for large-scale use, such as regional or statewide and not for homeowners. Other Parasites and Predators: Predation by birds, small mammals and ground beetles reduce populations of immature Japanese Beetles. Two wasp species (Tiphia vernalis and T. popilliavora) parasitize larvae, and a Tachinid fly (Hyperecteina aldrichi) attacks adult beetles. For more information about treatments for control of Japanese Beetle contact your County Extension Agent. MOVEMENT OF NURSERY STOCK FROM REGULATED AREAS Tennessee maintains a Quarantine against Japanese Beetle. It is Rule 0060-6-11 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required.) The Tennessee Japanese Beetle Quarantine map is updated after the trapping season each September. In 1996 the National Plant Board, Industry, and USDA-PPQ developed a harmonization plan that details how regulated items (i.e. Ball & Burlap, Container Nursery Stock, & Sod) could qualify for movement from Japanese Beetle infested areas to areas not infested with Japanese Beetle. Nursery stock that is bare rooted can qualify for movement as long as that stock is clearly labeled “bare rootstock”. Some Western States require prior notification of shipment. Follow the U.S. Domestic Harmonization Plan when shipping nursery stock from areas infested with Japanese Beetles to beetle free areas. Most likely this will require a Plant Certification Inspector to be present for the first time you treat your stock for movement. Nurseries may enter into a compliance agreement with the plant certification section for treatments of additional shipments. A Shipping Notification form will be issued with your Japanese Beetle permit number that will accompany all shipments moving out of an infested area. Please contact your local Plant Inspector or the Nashville Office concerning compliance agreements if you plan to ship nursery stock from an infested Japanese Beetle Area to a non-infested Japanese Beetle area. Requirements of other states (Adobe Acrobat Reader required) have to be met before shipment. Not following these guidelines can cause rejection of stock, civil penalties (Adobe Acrobat Reader required), and withdrawal of the compliance agreement.
Japanese Beetles University Of Kentucky Department of Agriculture - http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/trees/ef409.htm Japanese Beetle Regulated States - http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/maps/jpmap.pdf Sustainable Suppression of Japanese Beetle Populations - http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/biocontrol/j_beetle.htm Control of Japanese Beetle Adults and Grubs in Home Lawns - http://ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2001.html Emergency and Domestic Programs: Japanese Beetle - http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/jb/ |
