Japanese Beetle
History
The Japanese beetle originated in Japan but came to the United States by stowing away as grubs in the soil of iris plants that came from Japan (Rutgers, 2008). It first appeared in the United States in 1916 at a nursery in New Jersey (State of California, 2009). A pocket of the beetle first showed up in the twin cities in the early 1990's but for the most part has been contained. Unfortunately the rest of the beetle population has been slowly spreading west and has now reached Minnesota.
In Japan the beetle is not a pest because there are many natural controls such as parasitoids (which are parasites whose offspring feed on the host). The population is also controlled by pathogens and predators (Shetlar, 2001).
In Japan the beetle is not a pest because there are many natural controls such as parasitoids (which are parasites whose offspring feed on the host). The population is also controlled by pathogens and predators (Shetlar, 2001).
