There Popillia japonica also known as Killer’s beetle O Japanese beetle is a kind of insect from Japan, and which has been invading northern Italy for some years threatening numerous vegetable gardens and gardens.
This animal has a particular feature, namely the enormous voracity with which it is currently destroying numerous green areas in the north, in particular the area of Piedmont and Lombardy.
Let’s find out what it is in detail and how to protect plants and crops. (Read also: Popillia Japonica, the dangerous Japanese beetle is invading and destroying our fields)
Popillia Japonica: what it is
There Popillia japonica It is a very voracious insect that feeds both fruit trees and ornamental and spontaneous plants. What scares most is the propagation speedand that at the moment a method has not yet been identified to remove the Killer’s beetle.
Arrived from Japan, from 2014 to today we find this insect in the United States, in the Azores and in Northern ItalyPiedmont and Lombardy, that is, where there is a greater presence of humidity.
Was born as larva and at the beginning of its life cycle it mainly feeds on the roots of graminaceae; As an adult, however, it prefers fruit plants, spontaneous ones and ornamental plants that devours at a frightening speed and rhythm.
How to protect vegetable gardens and gardens
Given the voracity of the choleottero killer To fear more are our gardens and gardens, since this insect loves to feed on various plants by creating great damage also to agriculture.
At the moment there is no method to protect green areas, but you can act in different ways; For example manually in the evening, i.e. the moment when they are inactive, you can go out in the garden and look for these insects and then Remove them independently and insert them in a basin full of water.
Another Green and bio solution It is to use theNeem oil which contains an active ingredient not very welcome to the beetle; or they can be used of the Entomenopatogenic nematodesthat is, of the microscopic organisms that penetrate the larvae of the beetle and inoculate bacteria that reproduce, feeding on the larva itself. It is a kind of harmless traps for humans, animals and crops.
Obviously, if you do not want to resort to these methods, the preventionthat is, observing and checking plants and crops periodically, the only means currently 100% effective to protect plants from the attack of the Popillia japonica.
How to recognize an infestation
Damage to the leaves
The most evident symptom of the presence of Popillia Japonica is represented by the characteristic damage to the leaves
Damage of the larvae
The larvae cause less visible but equally serious damage:
Because it is considered dangerous
Economic impact and diffusion
Although Popillia Japonica does not represent a direct danger for man, its infestations involve devastating economic consequences for the agricultural sector and require considerable investments for containment measures. The insect has demonstrated an exceptional adaptation capacity, managing to colonize over 300 different plant species that include fruit trees, forest essences, crops in the open field, vegetable, ornamental and spontaneous plants. This extraordinary polyphagia makes it practically impossible to find green areas completely safe from the attack.
Vulnerability of grassy structures
The larvae of Popillia Japonica show a particular preference for graminaceous, feeding on their roots and causing extended damage to domestic and public meadows, sports fields and ornamental grassy rugs. This food specialization represents a particular threat for the maintenance of urban green areas and sports facilities, where the quality of the turf is fundamental both for aesthetic and functional reasons.
Interventions in Piedmont
The Piedmont Region has developed an articulated monitoring and control plan that provides for systematic controls in the bearing areas, i.e. those areas where the insect has not yet been reported but where there is the risk of colonization. Starting from the end of May 1200 “Attract and Kill” traps were characterized characterized by an umbrella form with a network impregnated with insecticide. These devices use specific baits to attract beetles and eliminate them, representing a targeted control strategy that reduces the environmental impact compared to widespread treatments.
Interventions in Lombardy
Lombardy has adopted a multidisciplinary approach that combines different integrated control strategies. Systematic visual inspections are accompanied by specific larval monitoring to evaluate the extent of the populations present in the soil. The trapped are used both for the maximum capture of individuals and to monitor the trend of populations over time, providing precious data to calibrate the interventions. The treatments against larvae and adults provide for the coordinated use of chemical and organic products, favoring when possible the solutions to lower environmental impact.
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