I spied my first Japanese Beetle here in this area of the Midwest only about a dozen or so years ago, although their reputation surely preceded them. They arrived in a swarm, with bags packed to stay -- and have by now entrenched themselves into a permanent, if unwelcome, part of the local ecosystem. Such a nuisance -- as an exotic, invasive interloper, they devour and proliferate unchecked without their natural Japanese enemies to keep them in line. Still, there's no denying a certain 'attractiveness' -- their elegant beetle shape, iridescent exoskeletons and overall metallic, coppery sheen....

I'm learning to grudgingly 'coexist'...