Brown Cockchafer - Rhopaea magnicornis

FAMILY SCARABAEIDAE

This page contains information and pictures about Brown Cockchafer Beetles that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Body length 22mm

This beetle is also known as Rhopaea Cane Grub. They are reddish-brown in colour and with a hairy body. Notice its antennae is short and fan-like. We found this beetle in summer night flying towards our windows.



The larvae, known as white cane grubs, live in soil and root parts of plants.



Those beetles attached by our windows light and we found their body near our house.

Every year in late spring to early summer (Sep-Oct), large number of them were found around our backyard at night. They were attached by window light. They all disappeared in the next morning.



They pupate in cell deep in soil. When become adults, they stay remains in the cell, wait until rain softens the soil and come out. This makes the adults come out from soil in the same time, synchronizes as the mating flight. They are active at night.

From the reference information, the beetle of this genus do not feed at all in adult stage. The males locate females by means of a sex pheromone emitted by the virgin females.

Reference:
1. Wildlife of Greater Brisbane - Ryan, Michelle (ed.), Queensland Museum, Brisbane, 1995, p.91.
2. Rhopaea canegrub - PaDIL, Pests and Diseases Image Library, 2008.
3. Rhopaea magnicornis Blackburn, 1888 - Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2008. Back to Top [ Up ] [ Small Green Beetle ] [ Brown Cockchafer ] [ Yellow Cockchafer ] [ Nectar Scarab Beetle ]