Beware the Japanese beetle: N.L. prepared to fight off invasive insect, says researcher

The Newfoundland and Labrador government is in planning mode in case it needs to contain a mean, green plant-killing machine. It's called the Japanese beetle.

The invasive insect is one centimetre in length and has a green metallic head at the mature stage. Its distinct feature is five white tufts of hair on either side of its back.

While it may look pretty, it can leave agricultural destruction in its wake.

The Japanese beetle eats about 300 plant species, including blueberries, partridge berries and its trees. It can also damage greenery and even golf courses, says Sabrina Ellsworth, director of agriculture research and production for the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture.

"[It] can be devastating and detrimental to those sectors that we rely on economically," she told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show. 

The bugs originally came to Canada on a ferry from Maine in the United States to Nova Scotia in the 1930s. Ellsworth says they've been spotted in Newfoundland and Labrador off and on in the last 10 years.

Ellsworth says it's presence in the province is a concern now because there are signs the beetles are "overwintering." Milder winters and less snow mean the larva have a better chance of living through those typical cold months, and in turn more adults emerge in spring and summer.

Japanese beetle eggs are problematic in particular, she says. Females can lay up to 60 eggs every year, and those eggs can blow around in the wind — that makes for a swift insect takeover.

"If this pest gets in their gardens, it's going to devastate everything that's there," said Ellsworth.

British Columbia is actively trying to ward off its Japanese beetle population, so Newfoundland and Labrador is taking pointers in case the bugs make their way east, said the researcher.

An eradication plan would include putting traps and restricting plant and soil movement in target areas, says Ellsworth. The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture is also considering spraying larvicide if it comes down to it.

"We're very hopeful that if we act now, we can get a handle on it and it won't become an infestation," said Ellsworth.

She advises people to capture any Japanese beetles in a jar and to call the Canadian Food Inspection Agency right away. Sightings can also be photographed and sent to the agency virtually through iNaturalist. 

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