Japanese Beetle Alert: Pest Appears in Austria
The invasive pest Japanese beetle (Popilla japonica) has arrived in Austria. A woman in Hörbranz in the district of Bregenz encountered the notifiable beetle in her private garden, the state informed on Friday. According to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), this is the first discovery in Austria. The insect is voracious and can cause severe damage in agriculture and forestry.
Japanese Beetle Damages Numerous Plant Species
The location in Vorarlberg is in close proximity to already known occurrences in neighboring Lindau (Bavaria). The beetle has already caused damage in Switzerland and Italy. Individual specimens have also been found multiple times in Germany and Slovenia. The monitoring operated by the state of Vorarlberg is to be intensified once again, it was stated. A statewide trap network for the early detection of possible occurrences was installed in the state years ago. The traps, equipped with attractants, are primarily located along main traffic routes such as the Rheintalautobahn (A14) and at customs points. The cross-border situation requires close coordination with the German plant protection authorities, according to the state.
According to AGES, the Japanese beetle, originating from East Asia, damages over 400 different plant species, including deciduous trees, ornamental and fruit trees, agricultural crops, and meadows. The goal is therefore to prevent its spread. The agency launched a reporting platform for the Japanese beetle a year ago. The state of Vorarlberg actively called for public assistance on Friday. Suspected findings should be reported to AGES or the official plant protection service of the state (landwirtschaft@vorarlberg.at). Japanese beetles should be captured and safely stored, for example, in a freezer container.
Japanese Beetle with White Hair Tufts
The Japanese beetle belongs to the family of scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) and is about ten millimeters long and six millimeters wide. The head and thorax are metallic green, and the elytra are copper-colored and shiny. According to AGES, the distinctive feature is the white hair tufts, with the beetle having five on each side of the abdomen and an additional two tufts on the last abdominal segment.
(APA/Red)
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