Western Rose Chafer: Appearance, Territory, Damage and Life Cycle

Latin Name: Macrodactylus Uniformis

Appearance: The western rose chafer, Macrodactylus Uniformis, is a species of May beetle or Junebug in the Scarabaeidae family. It may be found in both Central and North America.

Hosts Plants: Rose chafer adults feed on a broad variety of plants, including asparagus, bean, beet, cabbage, maize, pepper, rhubarb, sweet potato, tomato, and maybe more. Fruits affected include apple, blackberry, cherry, grape, peach, pear, plum, and strawberry. Flowers that have been harmed include dahlia, daisy, foxglove, geranium, hollyhock, iris, hydrangea, peony, poppy, and rose, but foxglove is deadly to beetles. Elm, magnolia, oak, sassafras, sumac, and other trees are also affected; even conifers are vulnerable. The roots of grasses and other plants are attacked by larvae. The diet of western rose chafer is unknown; however, it appears to be similar to that of rose chafer.

Territory: It is found in Central America and North America.

Damage Insect Cause: The Japanese beetle Popillia, Macrodactylus Uniformis Horn, and the green rose chafer are the most devastating chafers in North America. Western rose chafer, when present, can inflict significant harm by consuming leaves and blossoms.

Life History and Habits: The eggs are said to be deposited in light, sandy soil or tilled soil, but not in dense sod or heavy, moist soil, because larvae are only seen in the former. The eggs are roughly spherical or oval in shape, yellowish white in color, and around 0.8 mm in diameter. The adult lays eggs individually along a tunnel, sometimes as deep as 10 cm but occasionally fairly close to the soil surface. The egg stage lasts around 21 days. Larvae may feed on organic debris in the soil after hatching, but they mostly feed on roots. Larvae are yellowish white with a blue tint at the tip of the abdomen, well-haired, and reach a length of around 20 mm by fall. The head is a light crimson color. The body is C-shaped, like with other scarab beetles, albeit it is not as hefty as most white grubs.