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Japanese beetle
noun
: a small metallic green and brown scarab beetle (Popillia japonica) that has been introduced into eastern North America from Japan and as a grub feeds on the roots of grasses and decaying vegetation and as an adult eats foliage and fruits
Examples of Japanese beetle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Japanese quince trees bloomed on the White House grounds, it was reported, and someone called The Post from Maryland to tell of spotting a Japanese beetle.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2024
In 2020, doctors found a Japanese beetle inside the ear of a 14-year-old girl in Pennsylvania.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2023
Anything can happen in a garden, nothing lasts, and yet something can always be made out of the soil, even with the most destructive weather, even when rabbits and groundhogs and Japanese beetles join forces, greedy and ruthless.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
Quick Tangent: The Bugs That Changed Human History Common lawn pests include cutworms, army worms, and a newer threat, the Japanese beetle.
—Brett Martin, Popular Mechanics, 21 July 2023
The foliage of hardy hibiscus is sometimes a target for whiteflies, aphids and Japanese beetles.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2023
However, some experts and researchers say these devices aren't necessarily the best way to keep Japanese beetles at bay.
—Jennifer Aldrich, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 June 2023
Examples might be: the dandelions beginning to flower, the lilac leafing out, the first Japanese beetle on your rose bush, or the oak tree beginning to redden with new leaf buds about to break open in spring.
—Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2023
The package comes with a cicada, a cockroach, a Japanese beetle, a water scorpion and an assassin bug for your amateur entomologists.
—Good Housekeeping, 18 Nov. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Japanese beetle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1900, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Japanese beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Japanese%20beetle. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
Japanese beetle
noun
: a small glossy green and brown beetle introduced into America from Japan that as a grub feeds on the roots of grasses and on decaying vegetation and as an adult eats leaves, flowers, and fruits
More from Merriam-Webster on Japanese beetle
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Japanese beetle
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