Mass trapping designs for organic control of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

BACKGROUND: In some regions of North America, damage caused by the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, has been increasing as beetle populations continue to become established and expand. This poses a pest management challenge for crop farmers, in particular organic producers. From 2014 to 2016 we evaluated the ability of novel mass trapping systems to capture P. japonica in elderberry and blueberry orchards in Missouri, USA.

RESULTS: Across a 3-year period in two locations, the mass trapping systems collected 10.3 million P. japonica adults while season-long adult densities on crop plants were comparatively low (elderberry: 0.5-3.7 per plant; blueberry: 0.01-0.07 per plant). Damage by P. japonica averaged 6.8% per plant in elderberry and 0.12% in blueberry. In 2015 and 2016, large-capacity bins with increased ventilation captured similar beetle numbers as did 1.2-m-long mesh socks (single design used in 2014), and these two trap designs outperformed non-ventilated bins.

CONCLUSION: The mass trapping designs captured high numbers of adult P. japonica, while comparatively few adults and little damage to the foliage were recorded on plants. Mass trapping may provide effective alternative management options for P. japonica with less or no insecticides applied to the crop. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.