Rose Chafer (Jeffrey Hahn, U of MN)

The rose chafer, Macrodactylus subspinosus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a common pest of fruit and ornamental plants in the Northeastern U.S., and is sometimes seen in Minnesota vineyards.  The adult rose chafer is pale green to tan color, slender, approximately ½ inch long, with a reddish head and long, spiny, reddish brown legs. 

The adult beetle usually appears in May or June in Minnesota.  Because the rose chafer needs sandy soil to lay eggs, plants on sandy sites are most likely to be infested.  It feeds on plant material for 3 to 4 weeks, lays eggs in the soil, and then dies soon afterwards.  The eggs hatch in 1 to 2 weeks, and the small white grubs feed on the roots of grasses and weeds.