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Damaged areas of turfgrass are more susceptible to water stresses and severely pruned roots can lead to plant death by drought. Japanese beetle larvae feed on roots of grasses, in a manner similar to other turf damaging white grubs.These injuries produce root pruning that limit the plant’s ability to acquire water. Damage on individual plants may be patchy, concentrated where aggregations of feeding beetles occur. More generalized ragged feeding occurs on softer tissues, notably flower petals rose flowers are particularly susceptible to Japanese beetle injury. On leaves feeding is usually restricted to the softer tissues between the larger leaf veins, which results in a characteristic feeding pattern known and described as “skeletonizing”. Adults feed on leaves, buds and flowers of many common garden and landscape plants (Table 1). Injury by the adults is more obvious and is usually the primary concern in Colorado. However the type of injuries produced by adults and larvae are very different. Japanese beetle can be damaging to plants in both the adult and larval stages.

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Normally the body curves into a “C-shape”. These features are also typical of other white grubs found in association with turfgrass in Colorado, such as masked chafers and May/June beetles. (Extension fact sheet 5.516, Billbugs and White Grubs discusses white grubs of turfgrass in more detail.) Japanese beetle larvae are slightly smaller than these other species when full grown but they are best distinguished by closely examining the pattern of hairs on the hind end of the abdomen (‘rastral pattern’), which forms a distinctive V-shape. They have a creamy white body with a dark head and the legs on the thorax are well developed. Japanese beetle larvae are a type of white grub that feeds on the roots of grasses. The antennae are clubbed at the end and may spread to a fan-like form. Along the sides are five patches of whitish hairs. It is generally metallic green with copperybrown wing covers, which do not quite cover the tip of the abdomen. The adult Japanese beetle has an oval form is about 7/16-inch in length. At some of these sites high numbers of Japanese beetles now regularly occur and adult beetles are causing significant damage to leaves and flowers of many susceptible landscape plants. Recently, there have become a few permanent, reproducing populations of this insect in some communities along the Front Range of Colorado. From left to right: egg, larva (stage I), larva (stage II), larva (stage III), pupa, adult.įor close to a century, the Japanese beetle ( Popillia japonica) has been one of the most seriously damaging insect pests of both turfgrass and landscape plants over a broad area of the eastern US. Photograph courtesy of David Shetlar, the Ohio State University.įigure 7. White grubs feed on the roots of grasses. Japanese beetles that feed on leaves produce a characteristic skeletonizing pattern.įigure 6. Photograph courtesy of David Shetlar, the Ohio State University.įigure 5.

The rastral pattern is located on the underside of the tip of the abdomen. The rastral pattern that is distinctive for white grubs of the Japanese beetle. Photograph courtesy of David Shetlar, the Ohio State University.įigure 4.

White grubs (larvae) of the Japanese beetle. Japanese beetle damage to leaves of grape.įigure 3. Rose blossoms are one of the most highly favored foods of Japanese beetles.įigure 2. Japanese beetle larvae can be controlled with certain insecticides or by insect parasitic nematodes.įigure 1.Japanese beetle traps can capture many adults but have never been shown to reduce damage to nearby plants.Adults are best controlled by handpicking or by use of certain insecticide sprays.Japanese beetle larvae are a type of white grub that feeds on the roots of grasses.Japanese beetle adults chew flower blossoms and leaves of many commonly grown plants.

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