As part of the research program, the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) was found for the first time in Slovenia, which is included in the list of the 20 most important plant quarantine pests in the European Union, announced the Administration for Safe Food, Veterinary Medicine and Plant Protection of the Republic of Slovenia.
As stated, this beetle attacks more than 300 species of cultivated and wild plants. They feed on leaves, flowers, vine fruits, corn, cherries, apples, hazelnuts and other plants.
Adults eat plants from top to bottom, and as explained, they eat the leaf tissue between the leaf veins, giving the leaves a lacy appearance.
In the European Union, that is, the member states, a research program is carried out every year in order to see its presence, and each country must have a prepared plan for emergency situations in the event of an outbreak of these pests.
Their presence is determined using pheromone traps, which use pheromones as chemical signals that insects use to communicate with each other. These traps contain synthetic versions of the aforementioned pheromones, which attract insects to enter the trap. Traps are placed mainly at rest areas along highways where vehicles from areas where these insects are common are stopped, as well as at airports. It was at one of these resorts, on the Lukovica highway, that the first bug was found, which was confirmed in the laboratory.
The Administration for Safe Food, Veterinary Medicine and Plant Protection has already prepared a plan of emergency measures for the Japanese beetle in 2023. In accordance with the set plan, experts set additional pheromone traps at the Lukovica resort, in order to determine if there are more individuals at this location. The surroundings in a radius of one kilometer will also be inspected.
If their presence is found, a demarcated area will be established in which measures to eradicate them will be implemented.
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Source: energetskiportal.rs
