Japanese Beetle vs Square-spot Rustic

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Japanese Beetle Square-spot Rustic
Scientific Name Popillia japonica Xestia xanthographa
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Noctuidae
Size 8-12 mm 32-38 mm wingspan
Habitat Gardens Gardens
Diet Herbivores Root Feeders
Regions North America, East Asia, Europe Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Japanese Beetle

An iridescent green and copper beetle that skeletonizes leaves of over 300 plant species. Larvae are white grubs that damage lawns and turf.

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Did You Know?

Japanese beetles release aggregation pheromones that attract more beetles, leading to mass feeding frenzies on plants.

Square-spot Rustic

An extremely common autumn-flying moth with a diagnostic square stigma on the forewing. One of the most abundant moths in British gardens. Larvae feed on grasses.

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Did You Know?

Often the single most abundant moth species in garden moth traps during September.