Oriental beetle
The Oriental beetle (Anomala orientalis, sometimes given as Exomala orientalis[1]) is a species of shining leaf chafer in the family Scarabaeidae. It is a beetle about 0.7 - 1.1 cm (0.3 - 0.4 inches) long, with mottled, metallic brown- and black-colored elytra and a similarly colored thorax and head during the adult stage. It is sometimes confused with the larger and more colorful Japanese beetle. During the larval stage, the Oriental beetle can be identified by the parallel line raster pattern.
Oriental beetle | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Family: | Scarabaeidae |
Genus: | Anomala |
Species: | A. orientalis |
Binomial name | |
Anomala orientalis Waterhouse, 1875 | |
This species is native to Asia. It was introduced to North America and has since spread to, and become a pest in, several mid-Atlantic states. Its invasive range extends from Maine to South Carolina and Wisconsin. In its larval stage, the grub feeds on the roots of grasses, while the adults feed on various plants. Sex pheromone traps are often used to capture and kill the Oriental beetle.
References
- Jameson, Paucar-Cabrera, Solís. 2003: Synopsis of the New World genera of Anomalini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) and description of a new genus from Costa Rica and Nicaragua. ISSN 0013-8746 Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 96(4): 415–432. doi:10.1603/0013-8746(2003)096[0415:SOTNWG2.0.CO;2]