Japanese beetle

noun

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.

Origin of Japanese beetle

First recorded in 1915–20

Words Nearby Japanese beetle

Japanese arborvitae
Japanese archipelago
Japanese artichoke
Japanese barberry
Japanese basil
Japanese beetle
Japanese black pine
Japanese cedar
Japanese Chin
Japanese clematis
Japanese flowering cherry

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for Japanese beetle

Japanese beetle

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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