Japanese Beetle
Japanese Beetle
popilia japonica
A Threat to Vegetable, Fruit, Ornamental and Wildland Plants in BC
In July 2017, the first Japanese Beetle was detected in a park in Vancouver, BC. Japanese Beetle is regulated as it is an environmental and economic threat to Canada.
Japanese beetle is an invasive pest that feeds on the roots of turf grass and above-ground parts of more than 300 plant species including roses, fruit trees, grapevines, and other common landscape and food plants. If this pest spreads, it could cause damage to lawns, landscapes, golf courses, gardens and parks, and harm B.C.'s agricultural sector. It could also affect the beauty and health of Vancouver's ecosystem. For these reasons, it is a regulated pest under the Plant Protection Act.
This was the first detection of this damaging pest in BC, although this pest is now established in Eastern Canada and parts of the USA.
Landscape industry professionals are urged to be aware of this pest and report sightings of Japanese Beetle to the CFIA.
2025 Japanese Beetle Technical Session
Want to dive deeper into the 2025 Japanese Beetle program? Check out our Technical Session page for a recorded webinar, presentation slides, frequently asked questions, and links to a variety of resources.
View Technical SessionJapanese Beetle Resources
Stay Updated on Japanese Beetle!
Government, Industry, and Stakeholder Response
Various organizations are working together to combat the spread of Japanese Beetle:
View StakeholdersHow to Identify Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica)
Adult beetles are around 1 cm long, with a rounded oval shape and a hard shiny green exoskeleton and brown wing covers. The best-defining characteristic of this beetle is the six tufts of white hairs running down either side of the abdomen– no other beetle in BC has this pattern.
Refer to the Japanese Beetle Look-alikes Factsheet to compare the Japanese beetle with similar-looking insects found in BC.
