The Asiatic garden beetle is a small, velvety, cinnamon-brown insect roughly the size and shape of a coffee bean, about 3/8 inches long.
The female lays her eggs in clusters of up to 20 in the soil, bound together by a gelatinous substance.
The larva of the Asiatic garden beetle is a white C-shaped grub with a brown head, six legs, a V-shaped anal entrance, and a single transverse row of curled spines on the underside of the final segment.
Mature grubs are around 34 inches long.
Host plant:
Adult Asiatic garden beetles forage in gardens and field crops at night, removing leaves and petals and causing ragged damage. Ornamentals, blueberries, turf, gardens, sweet potatoes, soybeans, corn, and other fields can all be affected by grubs.
Territory:
The Asiatic garden beetle, native to China and Japan, has established itself in New Jersey.
Damages caused by Asiastic Garden Beetle:
Adult beetles attack a wide range of vegetable, herb, fruit, and ornamental plants, primarily at night, stripping, shredding, and notching the leaves of their hosts. Asiatic garden beetle damage is more common around the leaf edges.
Life history and habits:
The Asiatic garden beetle thrives in the soil as small larvae feeding off the roots of grass species and weeds in early spring. In late May and June, the larva pupates and emerges as an adult in late June and July. Adult beetles are drawn to light and may swarm in large numbers on windows, screen doors, and other brightly lit surfaces. Females dig into the dirt to lay their eggs, which hatch in around two weeks. Although the Asiatic garden beetle only has one generation each year, adults may continue to eat throughout the summer.
