Japanese beetle - (click to see picture)
JB in NW Arkansas - NW Arkansas Morning News - 8 June 06 = page 1 and page 2
Damage, population density, and
management of Japanese beetles in Arkansas (Faculty Impact Statements 2005 –
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series 539: pages 29-30) (pdf
file)
History of JB and green June beetle in Arkansas and Missouri (click and scroll to page 7 to see - History and Management of Green June Beetle and Japanese Beetle)
New Fact Sheet on Japanese Beetle (click to see - see AR Fact Sheet No. 7062, "Common Questions about Japanese Beetle in Arkansas")
Source: Cooperative Agriculture Pest Survey & NAPIS'
Seasonal Trap Catch of Japanese Beetle in Arkansas and Missouri in 2005
(click to see - Graph of JB Trap Counts in Arkansas and Total Trap Counts in Arkansas)
(click to see - Graph of JB Trap Counts in Missouri)
Japanese Beetle Is In Arkansas (click to see - see Arkansas map of Distribution):
Japanese beetles have been captured in yellow vane, odor attractant traps in several
counties of Arkansas since 1997 (click to see map of USA distribution).
In 2000, people in NW Arkansas began to report Japanese beetles doing slight feeding on
leaves of roses and grapes. Starting on 22 June 2001, reports began coming in from
home owners, Master Gardeners and County Extension offices of Japanese beetles doing major
damage on roses and probably other plants. Therefore, the information below was
found in "The Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News" (Vol. 6, No. 15, July,
12, 2000) and is made available to educate readers about the biology and what you can do
to control this new pest.
Biology Control with nematodes: (click to see - see article by USDA) August 2001
Biology: (click to see - excellent
review on biology & control of Japanese beetle by USDA APHIS)
Adults begin emerging from the soil from June to August. Individual beetles survive as
adults for several weeks, and their longevity, coupled with the long interval over which
emergence occurs, means that they are present for 2 months or more in some areas. Larvae
feed on grasses, and in the fall, partially mature larvae move deeper in the soil to
overwinter. They return to near the surface in the spring, then pupate in May or June.
Adult females emit a pheromone to attract males for mating, then they burrow into soil to
lay eggs. They repeat the mating and egg-laying cycle several times, feeding on host
plants between cycles. Adults are also very mobile. They "invade" new areas
rapidly and can reinfest plantings that were treated successfully several days earlier.
They feed on ripe fruits as well as broadleaf foliage, especially fruit that's in full
sunlight. Their tendency to cluster together often results in clumps of severely damaged
fruit or leaves near other completely undamaged portions of the same plant.
What can you do?
Cover sprays of the usual organophosphates (Guthion, Imidan, or Lorsban) are effective in
tree fruits; where harvest is imminent in peaches or plums, Sevin (3-day PHI) or malathion
(7-day PHI in peaches; 3-day PHI in plums) can be used.
In small fruits (see Arkansas Commercial Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide 2001 on page 13), Sevin XLR (7-day PHI) and malathion (1- to 3-day PHI, depending on the crop) are often the best choices. For organic growers, Rotenone and pyrethrins provide some benefit, but they are not highly effective. Be sure to scout frequently for Japanese beetles including re-scouting about 24 to 48 hours after you've applied an insecticide. Remember that this insect reinvades crops very rapidly. Japanese beetle traps are sold under the claim that they attract and remove enough beetles to meaningfully reduce the nearby population and protect surrounding plants. They do catch a lot of beetles, so they do in fact reduce the local population, but the magnitude of that reduction is usually small. If you do use traps in an effort to control this insect, use several (not just 2 or 3), and place them a little ways away from the plants you hope to protect most -- more beetles come to the area of the trap than are actually caught and killed, so damage to susceptible plants near or adjacent to traps can be great. The notes that Danitol and Sevin work best against these beetles. Imidan, malathion and Marlate (methoxychlor) are moderately effective.
