Japanese Beetles Ravage Northern Italian Vineyards and Farms as Pest Spreads Across Europe

Iridescent green beetles native to Japan are wreaking havoc across Italy’s agricultural regions, infesting orchards and vineyards where they consume foliage in distinctive lattice patterns that cripple plant growth and slash crop yields. The Popillia japonica arrived in Europe far more recently than in North America, first appearing near Milan’s Malpensa airport in 2014 but remaining unfamiliar to many European farmers until recent years. The pest has now established itself across northeastern regions including Lombardy, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, with documented sightings last year in the terraced vineyards surrounding Donnas.

Winemaker Luciano Zoppo Ronzero watches the beetles advance steadily through his historic mountain vineyards, moving from terrace to terrace as they consume vegetation and gradually climb higher. The insect’s appetite spans over 300 plant and tree species, prompting the European Union to classify it as a priority pest requiring containment and eradication efforts. In Italy, Switzerland and Germany, officials have shifted focus to management rather than elimination, while France and Spain still harbor hopes of preventing permanent establishment.

The beetles’ lifecycle and mobility create particular challenges for farmers and scientists alike. Adult insects travel by attaching to trains, vehicles and aircraft, while summer feeding is followed by mating and a larval stage that damages grass roots on lawns, golf courses and playing fields. Daniela Lupi, an entomologist at the University of Milan, emphasizes that while the beetles pose no direct threat to human health, their impact on agricultural production is severe and far-reaching.

The Coldiretti agricultural organization warns that the advancing pest threatens the Po River Valley, Italy’s primary agricultural zone, with damage ranging from complete harvest destruction in some areas to reduced ripening and weakened photosynthesis in others. Ronzero fears his grapes will fail to mature properly, rendering his harvest unmarketable and jeopardizing centuries of viticultural tradition on his drystone-walled terraces. Recent beetle detections near Verona’s Valerio Catullo airport have prompted experimental introduction of microscopic parasites targeting beetle larvae, while Donnas producers rely on labor-intensive pesticide treatments whose effects remain temporary.