Holidaymakers warned not to bring home “destructive” beetle

The Dutch food standards watchdog NVWA has urged returning holidaymakers not to bring back foreign invaders after a Japanese beetle was found in a freight shipment from Italy.

The insect was found dead in a plastic container that was being transported from a region of Italy where Japanese beetles are known to live.

The NVWA set traps in the container to see if any live beetles had crept inside, but none were found. But the agency told people coming back from southern Europe and transport companies to be alert and report any specimens they found.

“The NVWA is explicitly asking trading and logistics companies to be alert for beetles hitching a lift when they travel to or through the named areas,” the agency said in a statement.

“Do not in any event leave the doors and windows of your vehicle open for longer than necessary and try to check goods and packing for beetles before departure if possible.“

Japanese beetles are not considered a pest in their native country, where their numbers are controlled by natural predators.

But in recent years they have been spotted in Italy, Croatia, Switzerland, Germany and the Azores. The German province of Hessen is the closest area to the Netherlands with an established population.

They are regarded as highly destructive because they feed on a wide range of vegetation. Adult beetles will devour leaves and stems of plants, while their larvae eat grass roots and weeds.

The NVWA has also published advice on its website advising people how to tell Japanese beetles apart from similar looking native species.