Voracious plant-eating Japanese beetle found in downtown Vancouver

VANCOUVER — Plants and soil can’t be moved across a wide swath of Vancouver after the discovery of the Japanese beetle.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says plants and soil can’t leave an area that includes neighbourhoods in False Creek, Chinatown and Mount Pleasant.

The Japanese beetle is a pest that attacks ornamental plants, grasses, fruits, vegetables, trees and agricultural crops.

The city says it is working with the agency and other groups to respond to the presence of the beetle, found originally in the False Creek area.