The Japanese beetle is a species of scarab beetle. Due to the presence of natural predators, the Japanese beetle is not considered a pest in its native Japan, but in North America and some regions of Europe, it is a noted pest to roughly 300 species of plants. Some of these plants include rose bushes, grapes, hops, canna, crape myrtles, birch trees, linden trees, and others.
Japanese beetle
A Japanese beetle pupa shortly after moulting
Egg of biocontrol, tachinid fly Istocheta aldrichi, introduced from Japan
Adult Japanese beetles feeding on peach tree
The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 35,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family has undergone significant change in recent years. Several groups formerly treated as subfamilies have been elevated to family rank, and some reduced to lower ranks. The subfamilies listed in this article are in accordance with those in Catalog of LifeĀ (2023).
Scarabaeidae
On this high quality closeup, head anatomic details are well visible.
Sacred scarab in a cartouche of Thutmosis III from Karnak temple of Amun-Ra, Egypt
A scarab beetle grub from Australia.