The Japanese scarab continues to spread in Switzerland. At the dawn of the holidays, the Federal Agriculture Office (OFAG) set up a new emergency plan and launched a call for vigilance on Thursday.
This scarab can indeed travel as a clandestine passenger over long distances, in cars or trains, and represent a threat in new regions of Switzerland, the OFAG said in a press release.
The Japanese scarab (Popillia Japanica) is a voracious insect that can cause considerable damage. Adult individuals eat leaves, fruits and flowers over 400 plants.
At the larval stage, this insect feeds mainly on grass roots, jeopardizing the green surfaces of all types. It therefore represents a threat to agriculture, producing horticulture and the environment. OFAG has published an emergency plan to intensify efforts to combat this quarantine organization.
Between June and September
Switzerland currently has four infestation homes, in the cantons of Basel, Schwytz, Valais and Zurich. The delimitation of these foci aims at the eradication of this harmful. An infested area has also been circumscribed in the cantons of Valais and Ticino: in all likelihood, the Japanese beetle can no longer be eradicated in this area, but its propagation can be stopped.
The flight period of the Japanese beetle extends from June to September. During this time, it may happen that travelers from risk areas transport adult specimens without knowing, contributing to their spread in new regions of Switzerland or Europe.
In 2024, for example, isolated individuals were discovered in several cantons, along road axes. It seems in this case these are “clandestine passengers” conveyed by travelers without their knowledge.
The federal phytosanitary service (SPF) therefore appeals to vigilance. It is important to pass luggage and vehicles with a fine comb to detect the possible presence of the intruder. Anyone who finds a suspicious insect must catch it and immediately report it to the competent cantonal phytosanitary service.
The Japanese scarab that can easily be confused with other harmless local species, such as horticultural haneton, it is important to know its characteristics. Adult individuals are the same size as a 5 -cent piece (between 1 and 1.2 cm), have a metal green head and color and elytra of copper brown.
They have five small tufts of white hair on the sides of the abdomen and two larger tufts of the same color at the end of the abdomen. In the event of a suspicion, he had the beetle captured, freeze it, take a photo of the insect, note the precise location where it was found and entin contacts the cantonal phytosanitary service.
This article was published automatically. Source: ATS
