Chinese Rose Beetle
Photo by Arnold Hara
This pest is widespread
You may not notice these annoying beetles but you probably see all the damage they cause. They feed on the leaves of plants leaving them covered in holes or even eating the entire thing except for a few veins. Leaves often look ‘lace-like’ with lots of little holes.
The Chinese rose beetle is a common pest in gardens with a huge appetite. It has a large host range of over 250 plants, both ornamental and edible. Native to Japan and Taiwan, the Chinese rose beetle has spread throughout South Asia and the Pacific. It is now well established in Hawaii.
These beetles are nocturnal and like to feed at dusk for a couple of hours. When they are done feeding they may spend the rest of the night hiding. During the day they hide under leaves, in leaf litter, or even buried in the top layer of soil.
Life Cycle
Chinese rose beetle has a relatively short life cycle. It takes 6-7 weeks to go from egg to adult and majority of that time is spent in the soil as a grub. The grubs feed on decaying plant material and some plant roots. They can cause some damage, but not as much as the adults. Adults can live for a few weeks.
Ph
Description:
- About 1/2 inch long
- Oval shaped
- Reddish brown
Impacts:
- Feeds on leaves of numerous plants
- Excessive feeding can reduce plant yields and eventual death if damage is extensive
Getting Rid of Chinese Rose Beetle
As annoying as these beetles can be; controlling them can be rather simple. You have a few options.
Lighting
To protect certain plants from beetle damage you can set up a bright light to shine on them for a couple hours after the sun goes down. While the beetles are partially attracted to light they are also deterred by very bight lights. Since they mainly feed around dusk the light only needs to stay on for a few hours, not all night.
Light Traps
There are multiple ways to make a light trap. The main idea is to use a dimmer light suspended over soapy water. The light attracts the beetles and they fall into the water, the soap breaks the surface tension causing them to drown rather than float. You can create standing traps or just position a bucket/container beneath an outdoor light.
Hand Capture
This is probably the easiest method of control. Go out at dusk or just after it gets dark with a container of soapy water and pick the beetles off your plants. They don’t scatter very quickly and are easily knocked into the water.
These methods may not work to reduce populations 100% but it will greatly reduce the amount of Chinese rose beetle in your garden and reduce the amount of feeding damage on your plants.
