(Popillia japonica)
Indiana, USA – July 2019
These pretty beetles come from Japan and were introduced to North America about one hundred years ago. Due to the lack of natural enemies, they developed into a plague and damage crops and ornamental plants.
![](https://manfred-aretz.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/P7255218_Japan_Kaefer_2_1200x900_sig-1024x768.jpg)
The blossom of the purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), on which the two love to play, also shows the feeding traces of the beetles.
![](https://manfred-aretz.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/p7255240_japan_kaefer_1_1200x900_sig-1024x768.jpg)