Illustration of Japanese beetle
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
Mexican bean beetles, Japanese beetles, aphids, and leafhoppers are sometimes a problem.
—
Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2024
Pest control Unfortunately, Japanese beetles find basil leaves to their liking.
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 11 June 2024
State and county officials are on the lookout for Japanese beetles, which are considered pests.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 7 June 2024
Milky Spore, the product name for a biological control agent for Japanese beetle grubs, is a naturally occurring bacteria that infects the grubs and kills them.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2024
Common Pests & Plant Diseases Pest problems aren’t common for hydrangeas, but they can be affected by spider mites, aphids, and Japanese beetles.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 1 May 2024
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
Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2024
Pest control Unfortunately, Japanese beetles find basil leaves to their liking.
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 11 June 2024
State and county officials are on the lookout for Japanese beetles, which are considered pests.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 7 June 2024
Milky Spore, the product name for a biological control agent for Japanese beetle grubs, is a naturally occurring bacteria that infects the grubs and kills them.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2024
Common Pests & Plant Diseases Pest problems aren’t common for hydrangeas, but they can be affected by spider mites, aphids, and Japanese beetles.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 1 May 2024
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
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.
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“Japanese beetle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Japanese%20beetle. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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