N.J. It has now spread north to Maine, south to Florida, and westward to the Mississippi. In North Carolina, this beetle is a more serious pest of burley than flue-cured tobacco. Larvae are serious pests of turf and other grass crops. Damage - The adult Japanese beetle has become a more important pest of field tobacco in recent years. Adults sometimes migrate into tobacco fields when their favorite vegetation is scarce.
Damage commonly occurs in small localized areas, usually near field borders.
The beetles damage tobacco plants by eating ragged holes in the leaves. Larvae feed on grasss roots but do not damage tobacco roots. Life History - Japanese beetles overwinter in the soil as partly grown grubs. In spring, they migrate up near the soil surface and feed on grass roots. Pupation occurs in early May in North Carolina.