Five new Japanese beetles have been detected in Mougins since the start of July, bringing the total number identified in the Alpes-Maritimes to seven since the region's first detection in Cannes in June, the regional préfecture announced Tuesday.
The insects were trapped near a site flagged as particularly high risk, with identification confirmed by the national reference laboratory at ANSES, France's food, environmental and occupational health safety agency. Popillia japonica, native to Asia, is classified as a priority quarantine pest under EU rules, capable of attacking more than 300 plant species including vines, fruit trees, berries, maize and lawns, with adults feeding on leaves, flowers and fruit while larvae damage roots.
The regional agriculture authority, DRAAF PACA, has run a reinforced trapping network since 2021 along major routes connecting the region to Italy, alongside checks at logistics hubs, campsites, golf courses and sensitive natural areas. Following the Mougins detections, authorities have intensified monitoring further and are asking residents who believe they have spotted the beetle, roughly a centimetre long with a metallic green head and copper-brown wings, to report sightings alongside photographs where possible.