Possible Japanese Beetle sightings in Kootenai County | News

An invasive insect was recently spotted in Kootenai County. The state of Idaho is on the lookout for Japanese Beetles, known for feeding on forests, gardens and crops. Ada County might be affected to so the Department of Agriculture is studying suspected areas of habitat with trappings.

The insects were introduced to the United States in 1916 via plants imported from Japan. The beetle is described as 1/2 -inch long with metallic green and brown wing covers.

If you’ve seen an insect that looks like the one above, you’re asked to seal a dead specimen or two in a sandwich bag and mail it to the state’s Plant Industries Division at P.O. Box 790, Boise, Idaho, 83701.