Food safety agency calls for vigilance after discovery harmful Japanese beetles
The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) is calling for vigilance after two dead specimens of the Japanese beetle were found at a company in Kortrijk. This exotic species can cause enormous damage to plants.
The Japanese beetle poses a serious risk to agriculture, horticulture and nature. The insects reproduce rapidly and cause considerable damage wherever they settle. They spread mainly via human transport, travelling from infected areas in vehicles or goods such as camping equipment and luggage. The larvae can also be present in the soil or, for example, in potting soil for pot plants.
The first dead specimen of the Japanese beetle was found in a warehouse belonging to a company in Kortrijk. During a subsequent inspection, a second dead beetle was found among metal parts that had recently been delivered by a company in an infected area in northern Italy.
Although the beetles are dead, the FASFC is taking the discovery very seriously. Popillia japonica is a harmful exotic species that is on the European Union's list of priority quarantine organisms. This means that measures must be taken to prevent its spread.
The FASFC will monitor the area around the company in the coming months. Several traps have been set, but no other specimens have been found so far.
The Japanese beetle has been present in Italy since 2014 and in Switzerland since 2017. The adult insect is about one centimetre in size and recognisable by its metallic-green head and copper-coloured elytra.
#FlandersNewsService | The Japanese beetle © BELGA PHOTO IMAGEBROKER
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