Introduced animal species can be dangerous for ecosystems. Now the discovery of a female Japanese beetle is worrying experts. Here’s why the beetle could be a serious threat:
Last fall, the world of entomology was still fine. To some extent at least. Entomologists are entomologists – and they first sighted specimens of the Japanese beetle in Baden-Württemberg, namely near Freiburg. The beetles at that time were all male animals, now a female specimen of the genus Popillia japonica has been discovered for the first time.
HEIDELBERG24 reports on the discovery of the Japanese beetle in Baden-Württemberg and explains what dangers the find could entail.
The rather inconspicuous Japanese beetle has a shiny metallic, green head, brown wings and small white tufts of hair. It is often confused with the native rose chafer, which is significantly larger and causes no significant damage. (mko)
