Oriental beetle of the scarab beetle family and shining leaf chafer subfamily is a native of Asia also thriving in North America as an invasive species.
Size: 9.5 – 11.11 mm (0.37 – 0.43 inches)
Color: They are either mottled black, solid black, or brown.
Other Characteristic Features: They have markings of black on their elytra and abdomen.
The white C-shaped larvae grow to approximately 19.05 mm (0.75 inches) long. They are regarded closely similar to the Japanese beetle, but for the arrangement of spines. In fact, in the Oriental beetle, the spines occur in parallel rows, seen only under a hand lens, whereas in the Japanese beetle, the spines are v-shaped.
When newly hatched, they feed on rootlets, tuft grasses, and even organic matter. In the summer, they mostly remain on top of the soil and go deeper to overwinter. When the soil gets warm in spring, the grubs again ascend and reach the upper layers and feed for about five weeks. Then they go back to the tunnel they have made to spend the pupation period.
In the prepupal stage, the larvae appear flaccid and wrinkled. When matured, the pupa grows to about 10mm (0.39 inches) in length and 5 mm (0.19 inches) in width.
The small, milky white eggs are laid in the soil, where the female Oriental beetle makes a burrow, 2 to 4 inches deep. They are oval at the beginning, gradually turning spherical as they mature and get ready for hatching.
| Adult lifespan | 1 – 2 weeks |
| Duration of larval stage | 5 – 6 weeks |
| Distribution | Native: Throughout Asia Invasive: Parts of North America touching parts of Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, and Maine |
| Habitat | Gardens, forests, nurseries, and all other places where their host plants inhabit |
| Common Predators | Flies, spiders, bugs, birds |
| Seasons active from | July – September |
| Host Plants | Roses, daisies, phlox, hollyhock, and petunia |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Larvae: Mostly roots of different varieties of grasses, alongcol3 fruits (strawberries, cranberries), and ornamental plants (kept in nurseries) Adults: Flower petals |
The larvae do cause a significant amount of damage to the roots and ornamental plants kept in nurseries hampering their growth and resulting in the plant’s death eventually. The adults mostly attack the flower petals, particularly of daisies, but the damage caused by them is not too significant.
Image Source: a4.pbase.com, discoverlife.org, bugwoodcloud.org, bugguide.net
Oriental beetle of the scarab beetle family and shining leaf chafer subfamily is a native of Asia also thriving in North America as an invasive species.
Size: 9.5 – 11.11 mm (0.37 – 0.43 inches)
Color: They are either mottled black, solid black, or brown.
Other Characteristic Features: They have markings of black on their elytra and abdomen.
The white C-shaped larvae grow to approximately 19.05 mm (0.75 inches) long. They are regarded closely similar to the Japanese beetle, but for the arrangement of spines. In fact, in the Oriental beetle, the spines occur in parallel rows, seen only under a hand lens, whereas in the Japanese beetle, the spines are v-shaped.
When newly hatched, they feed on rootlets, tuft grasses, and even organic matter. In the summer, they mostly remain on top of the soil and go deeper to overwinter. When the soil gets warm in spring, the grubs again ascend and reach the upper layers and feed for about five weeks. Then they go back to the tunnel they have made to spend the pupation period.
In the prepupal stage, the larvae appear flaccid and wrinkled. When matured, the pupa grows to about 10mm (0.39 inches) in length and 5 mm (0.19 inches) in width.
The small, milky white eggs are laid in the soil, where the female Oriental beetle makes a burrow, 2 to 4 inches deep. They are oval at the beginning, gradually turning spherical as they mature and get ready for hatching.
| Adult lifespan | 1 – 2 weeks |
| Duration of larval stage | 5 – 6 weeks |
| Distribution | Native: Throughout Asia Invasive: Parts of North America touching parts of Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, and Maine |
| Habitat | Gardens, forests, nurseries, and all other places where their host plants inhabit |
| Common Predators | Flies, spiders, bugs, birds |
| Seasons active from | July – September |
| Host Plants | Roses, daisies, phlox, hollyhock, and petunia |
| Diet of larvae and adults | Larvae: Mostly roots of different varieties of grasses, alongcol3 fruits (strawberries, cranberries), and ornamental plants (kept in nurseries) Adults: Flower petals |
The larvae do cause a significant amount of damage to the roots and ornamental plants kept in nurseries hampering their growth and resulting in the plant’s death eventually. The adults mostly attack the flower petals, particularly of daisies, but the damage caused by them is not too significant.
Image Source: a4.pbase.com, discoverlife.org, bugwoodcloud.org, bugguide.net
