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Japanese beetle detections in southern France spark agricultural alarm
French authorities have confirmed five additional Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) in the town of Mougins, raising the total number identified in the Alpes‑Maritimes department to seven. The finds were announced by the prefecture of Provence‑Alpes‑Côte d’Azur on 28 July and were verified by the ANSES national reference laboratory. The beetle is listed as a priority quarantine organism under EU regulations because it can feed on more than 300 plant species, including vines, fruit trees, corn, lawns and ornamental plants, posing a serious threat to crops and green spaces.
The species was first recorded in France in the summer of 2025 in the Grand Est region and subsequently in Cannes in June 2026. In June 2026 it was also detected in Écot (Doubs) and later in Strasbourg and the Alpes‑Maritimes. Following these detections, the Regional Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Forests (DRAAF) has intensified surveillance, installing additional traps and conducting intensive surveys that will continue in the coming weeks. The beetle is already established in northern Italy since 2014 and Switzerland since 2017, raising concerns about its ability to spread further across Europe.
Entities
ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) · ANSES (French National Food Safety Agency) · Alpes-Maritimes · Alpes‑Maritimes department · DRAAF (Regional Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Forests) · Mougins · Popillia japonica (Japanese beetle) · Popillia japonica (Japanese beetle) · Provence‑Alpes‑Côte d’Azur prefecture
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Five Japanese beetles were detected in Mougins on 28 July 2026, bringing the total identified in Alpes‑Maritimes to seven. www.nice-premium.com · www.nicepremium.fr
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Regional Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Forests (DRAAF) enhanced surveillance by installing additional traps and conducting intensive surveys. www.nice-premium.com · www.nicepremium.fr
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Japanese beetle, native to Asia, was first detected in France in the summer of 2025. www.arkcity.net · www.nice-premium.com · www.nicepremium.fr
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Japanese beetle is classified as a priority quarantine organism by the European Union. www.arkcity.net · www.nice-premium.com · www.nicepremium.fr
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Japanese beetle specimens have been captured in Strasbourg and the Alpes‑Maritimes department in summer 2026. www.arkcity.net
- [● 3 SOURCES] The ANSES national reference laboratory confirmed the identification of the Japanese beetles. www.arkcity.net · www.nice-premium.com · www.nicepremium.fr
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A Japanese beetle specimen was identified in the commune of Écot, Doubs, on 16 June 2026. www.arkcity.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] Japanese beetle can feed on more than 300 plant species. www.nice-premium.com · www.nicepremium.fr
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The first detection of the Japanese beetle in France occurred in the summer of 2025 in the Grand Est region. www.arkcity.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] Five new Japanese beetles were detected in Mougins on 28 July, bringing the total in Alpes‑Maritimes to seven. www.nice-premium.com · www.nicepremium.fr
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Subsequent detections were reported in Cannes (June 2026), Écot (Doubs) on 16 June 2026, Strasbourg and the Alpes‑Maritimes. www.arkcity.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Regional Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Forests (DRAAF) has intensified surveillance, adding traps and conducting intensive surveys. www.nice-premium.com · www.nicepremium.fr