Rob Douglas, age 12, of Lowell, Mass., for his question:

DID THE JAPANESE BEETLE COME FROM JAPAN?

The Japanese beetle is an insect that injures trees, crops and garden plants. The experts say that the beetle did indeed come from Japan. It entered the United States in 116 inside the root of a nursery plant that was being imported from Japan.

The pesky Japanese beetle is now found in all states north of Georgia and east of Missouri. The largest number are found along the Middle Atlantic Seaboard.

Estimates of the average yearly damage caused by the Japanese beetle range up to $25 million.

The adult Japanese beetle only lives for a short period of time. It lays its eggs in the soil in midsummer. The young insects, called grubs, hatch in about two weeks, burrow into the soil and eat plant roots until the following spring.

The grubs enter the pupa or inactive stage in late May or early June and emerge as adults at the end of June. The adult Japanese beetles feed on foliage, flowers and fruit.