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Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica)
Japanese beetles are highly destructive invasive pests whose adults skeletonize the leaves of over 300 plant species and whose larvae (grubs) devastate turfgrass roots, making them a dual threat to lawns and gardens. Adults aggregate in large numbers on plants, feeding during the hottest part of the day, and release aggregation pheromones that attract more beetles. Systemic insecticides and contact sprays manage adult populations while soil treatments target larval grubs. Pheromone traps, while popular, often attract more beetles to an area than they capture.