Popillia japonica is absent from Germany
In Germany, Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae - EPPO A2 List) was detected in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2014 by an amateur entomologist who did not inform the responsible authorities. This finding was then published in 2018 and according to this publication, one specimen of P. japonica was found near the city of Paderborn (North Rhine-Westphalia). From 2018 to 2020, a monitoring survey was conducted by the Plant Protection Service of North Rhine-Westphalia using visual inspections and 5 pheromone traps. Monitoring was carried out in a public green next to a British military base, and results showed that there was no evidence of larvae or adults of P. japonica.
In summer 2018, a walker found one specimen of P. japonica near Oberstdorf in Bavaria, an area close to the border with Austria. However, the person could neither correctly identify the location nor the country. In 2019 and 2020, monitoring surveys were conducted by the Plant Protection Service of Bavaria in the county of Oberallgaeu (Bavaria) using visual inspections and 10 pheromone traps. There was no evidence of larvae or adults of P. japonica. Based on the results of these surveys, the NPPO of Germany consider that the pest is absent from its territory.
The pest status of Popillia japonica in Germany is officially declared as: Absent, pest records unreliable.
Sources
NPPO of Germany (2020-12).
Urban P (2018) [Discovery of the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica (Newman, 1841) near Paderborn (North Rhine-Westphalia) – first record for Germany]. Mitteilungen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Westfälischer Entomologen 34(1), 21-24 (in German).
Urban P, Schulze W, Zorn C (2019) Ein Fund des Japankäfers Popillia japonica Newman, 1838 in Bayern mit Anmerkungen zum Auftreten in Europa (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae). Nachrichtenblatt der Bayerischen Entomologen 68(3/4), 117-119 (in German).