Two Japanese Beetles Caught in Strasbourg: Authorities Step Up Monitoring

Strasbourg – 23 July 2026: Two specimens of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, were caught in officially installed traps in Strasbourg at the end of June. DRAAF Grand Est responded by deploying additional traps and carrying out intensive field inspections in the affected area. Authorities are now investigating whether these were merely isolated introduced insects or whether more beetles are present in the surrounding area.

The first find was made on 26 June 2026 in a trap within the city of Strasbourg. A few days later, a second insect was caught in the same sector. According to the regional authority, the circumstances so far suggest that the beetles may have arrived via human transport routes, such as lorries, cars or trains. An established population has therefore not been confirmed.

The new discovery follows the first detections in France in summer 2025. At that time, a total of five individual beetles were recorded in Alsace, including near the railway stations in Mulhouse and Strasbourg and on the A35 motorway near Saint-Hippolyte. The subsequent inspections provided no indication at the time that the species had become permanently established in France.

The Japanese beetle is classified as a priority quarantine pest in the European Union. It attacks numerous crop, ornamental and wild plants, including grapevines, fruit trees, maize, roses, strawberries and lawns. Adult insects feed on leaves, flowers and fruit, while larvae primarily damage roots in meadows, lawns and green spaces. Agriculture, horticulture and public green areas may therefore be affected.

The insect, which is about one centimetre long, can be identified by its metallic green head and thorax, as well as its copper-brown wing covers. An important distinguishing feature is the white tufts of hair on its abdomen. As similar native beetle species can easily be mistaken for it, suspected cases should not be identified prematurely but reported to the regional plant protection service with a photograph and precise location details.

Special precautionary measures already apply in the French part of the protection zone surrounding the outbreak area near Basel, which was detected in Switzerland in 2024. There, the movement of green waste, topsoil and growing substrates between 1 June and 30 September is only permitted under specified protective conditions. The zone also includes parts of EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse and the Petite Camargue Alsacienne.

For Strasbourg, early clarification is now the priority. DRAAF Grand Est intends to use increased trapping and visual inspections to determine whether the two detections remain isolated. Rapid detection is considered crucial to prevent the beetle from establishing itself permanently and causing potential damage to viticulture, fruit production, agriculture and urban green spaces.