Japanese beetle: Meaning and Definition of

Jap'anese bee'tle

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a small beetle, Popillia japonica, of the scarab family, introduced into the eastern U.S. from Japan, the adult of which feeds on the foliage of fruit and other trees, and the larva of which feeds on plant roots.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.