Japanese Beetle Update!

The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is an invasive insect native to Japan that feeds on over 400 plant species, including roses, fruit trees, vegetables, and turfgrass. It was first detected in Vancouver’s False Creek area in 2017, and subsequently in Kamloops in 2024. Eradication efforts are ongoing in all municipalities where they have been detected in B.C. Both its larvae (grubs) and adult form can cause significant damage to urban, horticulture, and agriculture landscapes.

Watch What you need to know – Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) in British Columbia for a quick Japanese beetle overview!

Identification

It is important to understand the key features of the Japanese beetles to differentiate it from other beetle and insect species. Here are two common misidentified look-alikes.

Japanese beetle (adult)

• • They measure 1 cm in length.
  • They have a rounded, oval shape.
  • Their head is metallic green.
  • Their elytra (wing covers) are metallic brown or copper with six tufts of white hairs along each side of the abdomen – its most defining characteristic.

European chafer beetle (adult)

• They measure 1.5 cm in length.
• They have an oval, cylindrical shape and are uniformly tan to light brown in color with fuzzy white hairs on the underside of the thorax (area between neck and waist).

Ten-lined June beetle (adult)

• • • • They measure 2 to 3.5 cm in length.
      • They are brown in color, with ten distinct white stripes on their back (eight long and two short stripes.
      • Their antennae are clubbed (like a fluffy fan!)
      • They produce a hissing sound when disturbed.

Japanese beetle larvae are creamy white, C-shaped grubs with a yellowish-brown head, and their size can grow up to 2 cm long. The larvae can be misidentified with European chafer beetle, and ten-lined June beetles. One way to identify the larvae is through their hair pattern at the raster (tail end), which requires magnification.

Lifecycle and its feeding damage

Summer:

• • • • Adult beetles typically emerge around June, when temperatures consistently reach above 21°C.
      • Adults feed on leaf foliage, which can result in skeletonized or lace-like leaf damage, preferring leaves in direct sunlight.
      • Note: Chafer beetle adults do not cause aboveground damage, making the Japanese beetle a greater threat to the plants and the environment.
      • Beetles mate and females begin laying eggs in moist soil.
      • A single female beetle can deposit up to 60 eggs over her lifetime, within 2 – 5 cm of the soil surface.
      • The average lifespan of an adult is 30 to 45 days.
      • Flight season begins around June 15.

Late Summer and Early Fall:

• • • • Flight season ends around October 15 (approximately four months of flight season).
      • Eggs hatch into larvae, which feed on plant roots, especially grass roots. This often causes browning of turf or easily detached grass.
      • Larvae move deeper into the soil as temperatures drop.

Fall and Winter:

• • • • Larvae overwinter underground, approximately 5 – 31 cm below the soil surface.

Spring:

• • • • As soil warms, larvae slowly move back up to the soil surface.
      • Larvae feed heavily on plant roots during this period before developing into pupae.
      • Note: Japanese beetle and European chafer beetle larvae cause similar feeding damage, and high larvae population can attract other animals, like crows and raccoon, which may dig up turf to feed on grubs.
      • Pupae develop into adults, and the cycle begins again.

1 Skeletonized leaf damage. Steven Katovich, Bugwood.org

2 Turf damage. M.G. Klein, Bugwood.org

Regulated Area

• • • • To control the spread, regulated areas (RA) have been established in Vancouver, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, and Kamloops (new in 2025).
      • In 2026, the Westsyde neighbourhood in Kamloops was added to the RA.
      • Moving outdoor plants with soil or soil-related matter attached outside the RA boundary is restricted.
      • A Movement Certificate from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is required to move any regulated materials outside of an RA.

What You Can Do

• • • • “Shake it before you take it” when moving produce, flowers, plant materials, boots, and garden tools to dislodge any beetles that may be hitchhiking.
      • Leave plants with soil, soil-related matter, and other growing media attached and reuse them where possible.
      • If disposal is necessary, remove as much soil as possible from yard waste prior to moving.
      • Where available, use municipal green bins to dispose of yard waste and ensure the lid is closed.

Spot a Beetle? Take action and report IT!

• • • • Report all suspect Japanese beetles to CFIA by:
        • Calling 604-292-5742,
        • Emailing Japanese.beetle@inspection.gc.ca, and
        • Using the free Report Invasives app.
      • Include insect photos and an accurate location when possible.
      • You can also submit sightings, feeding damage, or damaged trap reports through the free Survey123 community science app (no account needed!). Data is sent directly to the CFIA Japanese beetle response team.

Stay Informed

• • • • Check if you’re in a regulated area by visiting the City of Kamloops website or using the CFIA’s interactive map.
      • Visit the ISCBC website for more information, factsheets, links to program partners, and to sign up for the Japanese beetle e-newsletter to stay updated.
      • Be sure to read the Japanese Beetle Look-Alikes Factsheet to learn more about this pest and look-alike species that are commonly reported.
      • Check out our factsheets for both Yard Waste and Community Gardens.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Diane Watson, ISCBC Special Projects Coordinator, at dwatson@bcinvasives.ca.