STAznanost

Harmful Japanese beetle found in Slovenia

Ljubljana, 16 July - The Japanese beetle, a pest that invades over 300 species of cultivated and wild plants, has been found in Slovenia. People are advised to be cautious of the beetle and any damage to plants, and any suspicion should be reported.

The Japanese beetle was found in a pheromone trap at the Lukovica motorway rest area, some 15 kilometres northeast of Ljubljana, the Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection Administration said on Tuesday.

It most likely got there in a vehicle from Northern Italy, as the beetle is common in Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and the Swiss Canton of Ticino. It spreads from there with vehicles such as cars, lorries, trains or aeroplanes.

Individual beetles have been found in pheromone traps elsewhere in Italy, Switzerland and Germany.

The Japanese beetle in Slovenia has been detected by members of the Agricultural Institute, who had put pheromone traps at the Lukovica motorway rest area. The intention is to discover the pest early in order to prevent it from spreading.

The area will be further examined within a one-kilometre radius and, if more beetles are found, the area will be demarcated for precautionary reasons and the beetles will be exterminated.

The Japanese beetle is listed among the 20 EU priority quarantine pests. It gnaws leaves, blossoms and fruits of many plant species found in Slovenia, such as apple trees and grapevines. The larvae are found in soil, where they cause damage by gnawing grass roots.

The beetle has an body-shaped body. Its head and thorax are of a metallic green colour and its wing cases brown. It is eight to eleven millimetres long and five to seven millimetres wide. Its antennas are plumose. Its abdomen has five tufts of white hair on each side.