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Available Pherobank product, pheromone lure for Popillia japonica

Popillia japonica

English: Japanese beetle
French: Hanneton japonais
German: Japankäfer
Italian: Popillia

The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, is a quarantine pest to Europe (Council Directive 2000/29/EC) and a high priority pest in the EU (Commision Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/1702). The adult of this scarab beetle measures 15 mm in length and 10 mm in width, has iridescent copper-coloured elytra and a green thorax and head. It is not very destructive in Japan, where it is controlled by natural predators, but in North America, and partially in Europe, it is a noted pest of about 300 species of plants including rose bushes, grapes, hops, canna, crape myrtles, birch trees, linden trees, and others.

Popillia japonica closely resembles the garden chafer (Phyllopertha horticola). The (adult of the) garden chafer is more hairy all over the body. The most striking difference is that P. japonica has white hairs in tufts on the abdomen. The garden chafer also has white hairs, but they are more evenly distributed over the body. N.B. Note however that in older specimens of both species the hairs may have largely disappeared, making the distinction more difficult!

Figure 1. Adult Popillia japonica (photo: ©Theresa Cira, Minnesota Department of Agriculture)
Figure 1. Adult Popillia japonica (photo: ©Theresa Cira, Minnesota Department of Agriculture)
Figure 2. R-Japonilure
Figure 2. R-Japonilure

In 1977 the group of professor James H. Tumlinson identified the pheromone of Popillia japonica as (R,Z)-5-(1-decenyl)dihydro-2(3H)-furanone (Science 1997, 197, 789-792). Male response is strongly inhibited by small amounts of the S,Z-isomer. Therefore, the synthesis of this pheromone in a purity required for optimal performance is a challenge.

This pheromone formulated in ready-for-use lures is available from Pherobank.

  • Popillia japonica pheromone lure, Pherobank article #: 50313
  • Only available as pheromone lures
  • Advised trap: green/green/transparent/barrier cross yellow funnel trap, Pherobank article #: 30257

For more information about this insect please see:

https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/43599
https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/POPIJA
https://DOI: 10.1126/science.197.4305.789

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