As if 2020 hasn’t witnessed enough misery, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is warning residents about swarms of an insect that has been found in Minnesota for the first time.

The European chafer beetle has been spotted in large swarms in south Minneapolis neighborhoods and the fear is that they may spread. Although never found in Minnesota until this year, the European chafer beetle has been in the United States for 80 years. It was first identified in New York in 1940 and can be found in the northeastern United States as well as Michigan and Wisconsin. It is known laying grubs that do significant damaging turf and lawns.

Because the insect is new to Minnesota, the MDA is asking anyone who spots the insect to take part in its Arrest the Pest program, which asks people to photograph and capture the insect.

 For more information on the European chafer beetle, what the insect looks like and links how to identify and report the insect if you see it, click here: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/destructive-european-chafer-beetle-discovered-minnesota