Oriental beetle
Native to eastern Asia, this beetle's grubs can only be told apart from Japanese beetle grubs by the arrangement of tiny spines on their underside.
| Where | Lawns, turf and garden flower beds |
|---|---|
| Size | 7 to 14 mm body length |
| When | May to August |
The Oriental beetle is a small scarab with mottled elytra ranging from light tan to nearly black, a similarly patterned thorax and head, and fan shaped antennal tips typical of the group. Patterning varies so much between individuals that no two beetles look quite alike.
Adults feed briefly on garden flowers such as roses and petunias while grubs feed underground on turfgrass roots, causing wilting and dead patches in lawns. Adults emerge in late spring, are active by both day and night, and are strongly drawn to artificial lights.
Traits
Habitat
Towns
Colour
Brown, Black
Active
Day and night
To people
Adults feed briefly on flowers and do not bite or sting people; larvae damage lawn roots, not people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has a metallic green head and thorax with coppery brown wing covers and white hair tufts along the abdomen, features the mottled tan to black Oriental beetle lacks.
Questions
Is the Oriental beetle dangerous to people?
Adults feed briefly on flowers and do not bite or sting people; larvae damage lawn roots, not people.
When can you see the Oriental beetle?
The Oriental beetle can be seen from May to August, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by cgmayers, CC0, iNaturalist Licence
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Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.