Under the title, a Horizon 2020 project took place from 2020 to 2024, looking at the impact of invasive beetle species on the plant health. Although the project has successfully been concluded, the results are still actively disseminated, and now also available in a visually appealing and comprehensive guide co-authored and designed by the SPOTTERON team. In this short blog, we will introduce the Vademecum regarding Popillia japonica, including the invasive species monitoring for national
Popillia japonica - an invasive pest's spread across the continent and how to stop it with the help of a Horizon Europe Citizen Science App
Popillia japonica is a small bug of approximately one-centimetre length with a shiny green head, brown-ish shiny wings and five distinct white stripes on its abdomen. However, while its jewel-like appearance is quite pleasing to the eye, we should not underestimate this invasive species' agenda: This beetle came to eat our crops and is very hungry.
Originally from Northern China and Japan, the Popillia japonica has been spreading across North America and Europe for several years. The first sighting in Central Europe was reported in Italy in 2014, where it already caused quite a bit of damage to crops, including fruit trees, strawberries, beans, corn, wine and many more. In addition, the voracious beetle does not only feast in its adult form but already in its larva stadium underground, where it gorges on plant roots, causing swathes of grassland to die, with huge implications on nature and the economy.
Japanese beetle feeding on leaves.
Close-up of a Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica)
Close-up of the Japanese beetle's larva.
Popillia japonica causing damage to soybean plant.
Japanese beetle feeding on vines, causing damage.
Vines, almost completely destroyed by the Japanese beetle.
A Horizon 2020 Citizen Science App to help minimize damage caused by Popillia japonica
The European Commission has decided to step in as part of the Horizon2020 project, naming the Japanese beetle a high priority pest in the new EU Plant health Law to develop measures to confine the beetle's further spread.
A major part of the project is SPOTTERON's lead in building a Citizen Science App and toolkit where the general public can help spot the whereabouts of the Japanese beetle so that further measures can be taken.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 861852
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