Salagubang, Chafer Beetle

Description:

Leucopholis irrorata (Chevrolat), of family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae, is a Chafer Beetle considered as pest of Oryza sativa (rice) and Zea mays (maize) in the Philippines. The adults feed on the leaves while the grubs (called White Grubs or Root Grubs) feed on the roots of rice plants by digging through the soil. Root grubs feed on rice during the seedling stage of the crop. During drought, damage caused by the insect pest is higher. Aside from the rice plant, root grubs prefer plants with a fibrous root system such as maize, millet, sorghum, sugarcane and various grasses. The adults are also considered pests of fruit trees. L. irrorata adults are greyish-brown and densely mottled with minute, brownish spots. Distribution: Luzon, Philippines. Synonyms: Leucopholis pollinosa; Leucopholis simillima.

Habitat:

Backyard. This scarab beetle was being chased by my cat and just happened to land on a newly harvested Langka/Jackfruit.

Notes:

Reference: http://www.plantwise.org/KnowledgeBank/D... http://www.plantwise.org/KnowledgeBank/D... http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/es... http://www.globalspecies.org/ntaxa/23802... Images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ricephotos/..., http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/RiceDo.... IRRI Rice Knowledge Bank: http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/RiceDo... Biology and Management of Rice Insects: http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=ZMuA...