Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles (Scarabaeoidea) » Scarab Beetles (Scarabaeidae) » May Beetles and Junebugs (Melolonthinae) » Macrodactylini » Rose Chafers (Macrodactylus) » Rose Chafer (Macrodactylus subspinosus)

Species Macrodactylus subspinosus - Rose Chafer

Rose Chafer - Macrodactylus subspinosus - male

Beetles - Macrodactylus subspinosus - male - female

Milkweed-eating Beetles - Macrodactylus subspinosus

Rose Chafer Beetle - Macrodactylus subspinosus

Rose Chafer - Macrodactylus subspinosus - male - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles)

Family Scarabaeidae (Scarab Beetles)

Subfamily Melolonthinae (May Beetles and Junebugs)

Tribe Macrodactylini

Genus Macrodactylus (Rose Chafers)

Species subspinosus (Rose Chafer)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Macrodactylus subspinosus (Fabricius)

Orig. Comb: Melolontha subspinosa Fabricius 1775

Size

8-10 mm

Identification

very similar to and hard to distinguish from M. angustatus, with which it used to be considered synonymous

Males:

Range

e. NA (QC-FL to MN-TX); CO & MT records(1) suspect (Art Evans, pers. comm. to =v= 5.iv.2011)

Habitat

Old fields, gardens, edges with vines

Season

mostly Jun-Jul (BG data), May-Jul in SC(2)

Food

Adult is herbivore, feeds on wide variety of flowers and foliage.

Life Cycle

Adults emerge in early summer and feed on flowers, some leaves. They live for up to 6 weeks. Mating occurs on food sources. Eggs are laid deep (13-15 cm!) in soil and hatch in one to three weeks. Larvae feed on roots and overwinter deep in soil. Pupation in early spring in the soil, just under the surface.

Adults contain cantharadin, can poison chickens, other birds.

Remarks

Considered a minor pest species

Internet References

Fact sheet - NCSU

Works Cited

1.	The Beetles of Northeastern North America, Vol. 1 and 2. Downie, N.M., and R.H. Arnett. 1996. The Sandhill Crane Press, Gainesville, FL.

2.	Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of South Carolina Phillip J. Harpootlian. 2001. Clemson University Public Service.

Contributed by Cotinis on 22 March, 2004 - 11:50am
Additional contributions by Bbarnd, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 10 September, 2015 - 2:57pm

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