原产于日本的日本金龜子自2014年首次在米兰马尔彭萨机场附近被检测到后，已在意大利北部迅速蔓延[1]。这种害虫目前已侵入伦巴第、皮埃蒙特和瓦莱达奥斯塔地区[1]。
日本金龜子因缺乏天敌且食性广泛而构成严重威胁。该害虫的食谱涵盖超过300种植物和树木[1]，已被欧盟列为优先防治对象。农业游说团体Coldiretti的负责人Lorenzo Bazzana指出，在某些地区甲虫已摧毁了收成[1]。
米兰大学昆虫学家Daniela Lupi表示，虽然这种害虫对人类无危险，但生产量会大幅降低[1]。各地农民正面临严重损失，为应对这一挑战，相关方面正尝试通过引入寄生虫、信息素陷阱和农药等手段进行防控。
The Japanese beetle, a species native to Japan, is rapidly advancing through northern Italy, posing a serious threat to local vineyards and orchards [1]. First detected near Milan's Malpensa Airport in 2014 [1], the pest has since spread across Lombardy, Piedmont, and Valle d'Aosta [1].
The insect's wide-ranging appetite makes it particularly destructive. Its diet encompasses more than 300 plant and tree species [1], allowing it to damage diverse crops across agricultural regions. The European Union has designated it as a priority pest species due to its lack of natural predators in the region and its capacity for rapid proliferation [1].
The damage to local agriculture has been substantial. Lorenzo Bazzana, a representative of Coldiretti, the agricultural lobbying group, noted that in some areas the beetles have destroyed entire harvests [1]. Daniela Lupi, an entomologist at the University of Milan, cautioned that while the insects pose no danger to humans, they will significantly reduce crop yields [1].
Authorities and researchers are pursuing multiple control strategies, including the introduction of parasitic insects, pheromone traps, and pesticides [1], though the beetle's continued spread underscores the challenge farmers face in managing this invasive species.