Japanese Beetle

Hi, I’m a Japanese beetle.

I might look pretty with my shiny green and copper wings, but I’m not as friendly as I seem! Unlike my distant cousins, the ladybugs, who are helpful to gardeners by eating pests, I tend to munch on plants and flowers, especially roses, fruit trees, and vegetables. I’m not picky—I’ll feed on over 300 plant species, which makes me a bit of a garden troublemaker.

I came from Japan, but I’ve spread across North America, where I’ve become a big concern for gardeners and farmers. In my larval stage, I live in the soil and eat the roots of grass, which can damage lawns and crops. Adult beetles, like me, enjoy devouring leaves, often skeletonizing them until only the veins remain.

Even though I’m a pest, using harsh pesticides isn’t the best way to handle me. They can harm other beneficial insects, like my cousin, the ladybug, who helps control real pests. The best way to manage me? Natural predators like birds, or careful, eco-friendly pest control methods.

So while I’m not as loved as the ladybug, we’re still part of the same big insect family—just with different tastes!