Japanese beetle

American  

noun

1. a small beetle, Popillia japonica, of the scarab family, introduced into the eastern U.S. from Japan, the adult of which feeds on the foliage of fruit and other trees, and the larva of which feeds on plant roots.

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Japanese beetle British  

noun

1. a scarabaeid beetle, Popillia japonica, that eats the leaves and fruits of various plants: accidentally introduced into the US from Japan

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Etymology

Origin of Japanese beetle

First recorded in 1915–20

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Japanese beetle

Adult Japanese beetle are metallic green and brown and have little tufts of white hair on their sides.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 23, 2022

Whether it's the Mexican bean beetle, the Japanese beetle, or the bean leaf beetle, your plant's biggest nemesis will likely be . . . the beetle.

From Salon ● May 30, 2022

Gardeners first discovered the Japanese beetle in U.S. in 1916, but the insects didn’t arrive in Iowa until 1994.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 22, 2017

After high school, Peter Gerety worked for the New Jersey Transportation Department and the federal Agriculture Department, at one point inspecting cars at the Connecticut border during a Japanese beetle infestation.

From New York Times ● Sep. 27, 2016

By 1938 it was rather widely prevalent in the older areas of Japanese beetle infestation.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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