ABSTRACT
The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleptera: Scarabaeidae) was introduced accidentally from Japan to the eastern coast of North America in 1916 (Fleming, 1972). Since its arrival in southern New Jersey, this mobile insect has gradually increased in geographic distribution. P. japonica has become established as far west as Minnesota and Kansas (Anonymous, 2000) and has been sporadically detected and eradicated in some western US states (Fleming, 1972; Potter and Held, 2002). Adult beetles can cause extensive feeding damage to a broad range of ornamental and fruit plants by feeding on their leaves and fruit (Fleming, 1972; Potter and Held, 2002), and this species has become a major pest of managed turf due to the preference of larval stages (grubs) for feeding on grass roots (Vittum et al., 1999). Beetles can cause feeding damage on leaves and ripe berries of highbush blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum L. if other plants are not present. However, it is the presence of adult beetles on plants at harvest that is of greatest concern, due to the risk of contamination of harvested berries.
