Further incursions of Popillia japonica in Austria
Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae – EPPO A2 List) was first reported in Austria in July 2025 in a garden in Hörbranz municipality (Vorarlberg state) and the NPPO considered the beetle to be a single hitchhiker (EPPO RS 2025/213).
The NPPO of Austria recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of further findings of P. japonica on its territory:
- Steiermark (July 2026)
Two P. japonica were detected in a trap in July 2026 located at a motorway stop near the city of Graz on a traffic corridor linked to infested areas in Italy. There are potential host plants surrounding the stop. Five further traps were set, and no additional beetles have been caught or found in visual inspections since.
- Tirol (August 2026)
A single male beetle was reported in a trap near a motorway stop in the municipality of Ebbs. This is the first finding in Tirol. Traps had been placed on the Austrian side of the River Inn following findings in Bavaria, on the German side of the River Inn in previous years, but prior to this, no findings had been reported on the Austrian side.
- Vorarlberg (August 2026)
A single beetle was found in late August 2026 in a trap at a motorway stop in Hohenems municipality. Five further traps have been placed within a 1 km radius of the finding. The regional plant protection service in St. Gallen in Switzerland was notified as the area to be surveyed include a part within Switzerland.
The NPPO of Austria considers that all of the findings are hitchhikers. In all cases, intensive surveys are being carried out, and further traps have been set. Awareness raising activities are carried out.
Sources
NPPO of Austria (2026-08, 2026-09).