New finding of Popillia japonica in Germany
In Germany, a single specimen of Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Rutelidae – EPPO A2 List) had been caught in a trap in November 2021 close to a railway track in Baden-Wuerttemberg (EPPO RS 2022/010). In 2022, six additional pheromone traps were installed in a zone of 1 km around the 2021 finding. On July 20th, a single male was caught close to the RAlpin train terminal in Freiburg im Breisgau. No other specimens have been caught so far. The regional plant protection service considers that the beetle had arrived from an outbreak area in Northern Italy, as a hitchhiker on a train.
On August 16th a single female beetle was caught in Baden-Wuerttemberg, 70 km from the finding in July. The trap was close to a freight depot where the lorry loads arrive by rail or road directly from Northern Italy or Switzerland. The trap was placed near a customs office at a highway where a waiting area for customs clearance is located for the trucks. It is considered that the two findings are not connected, and that this second beetle also arrived as a hitchhiker.
In both cases, no demarcated area has been established. An intensified survey including traps and visual inspections will be carried out in the surroundings of 1.5 km around the findings. Public awareness will be raised by a press release with information about the recent findings.
The pest status of Popillia japonica in Germany has not yet been determined.
Sources
NPPO of Germany (2022-07, 2022-08).