[REVISION HISTORY]

Japanese beetle spread in Europe

Updated 10 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-06 05:45 UTC → 2026-09-07 04:56 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late June/early July 2026, two Japanese beetles were captured in Alsace, confirming the pest’s first presence in France. The French Ministry of Agriculture responded with nationwide trapping and expanded surveillance. On 23 July, Germany reported its first specimens in Lower Saxony at Hannover Airport. By late July, French officials found five additional beetles in Mougins. On 6 August, nine live beetles were captured in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen and Liechtenstein. This followed a dead specimen found near the A13 highway a month prior. By mid-August, the pest was reported near the Hungarian border after a female was sighted in Pince, Slovenia, following July detections near Graz, Austria. In response, the Hungarian National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) deployed pheromone traps in Zala County along major transit routes like the M7 and M70 to monitor the high-risk pest. On 19 August, authorities in St. Gallen and Liechtenstein launched containment measures after discovering 13 specimens in the Buchs and Werdenberg regions. These regulations include prohibiting lawn irrigation to prevent egg-laying and restricting the transport of potted plants. In early September, the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture announced plans for a quarantine zone near Lake Constance following detections in the Lindau districts. By 3 September, quarantine measures were being implemented in both Bavaria and the neighboring Austrian state of Vorarlberg. By 5 September, authorities in Baden-Württemberg began preparing defensive measures following the beetle’s appearance near Lake Constance. In the neighboring Bavarian district of Lindau, a large quarantine zone has been established, encompassing infestation areas and a five-kilometer buffer zone. Within these zones, strict regulations prohibit the movement of green waste, compost, or topsoil to prevent the spread of eggs and larvae. To date, sixty Japanese beetles have been detected in the Lindau area during the current flight season.

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