Beetlejuice Oriental Flower Beetle

2/2/2014

oriental flower beetle, scarab beetle, flower chafer, Proteatia orientalis, Hawaii, Guam, coconut rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros, pollen, nectar, sap, fruit

The oriental flower beetle, Proteatia orientalis. Photo: Jeanne Lindgren

Hailing from China, Korea, and Japan, the oriental flower beetle, Proteatia orientalis, is a hefty beetle, about the size of my upper thumb. Its attractive bronzy metallic sheen is splotched with white markings, and gives a hint that it is in the family of Scarab beetles, many of which sport metallic colors. It also claims membership in the subfamily Cetoniinae, also known as the flower chafers, a group of diurnal beetles that feed on nectar, pollen, sap, and some, like are guy here, on damaged fruit. On Guam, where it is widespread, it has been known to feed on the flowers of papaya, coconut, betel nut, mango and corn, and may damage the flowers of these trees, resulting in fewer fruit.
Proteatia orientalis has been known on Oahu since 2002, and has since been identified on Maui, and just recently on the Big Island. Eggs are laid in the soil, where the grub, or larvae hatch and then pupate; as with all beetles, metamorphosis is complete, whereas true bugs undergo incomplete metamorphosis. The oriental flower beetle can be confused with the coconut rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros, a major pest of coconut palms that was first seen in Honolulu in December of 2013.

Though both are scarab beetles, the Oriental Flower beetle pictured here is about an inch long and bronze, whereas the rhino beetle is about two inches long and black. Photo: Jeanne Lindgren

The Coconut Rhinoceros beetle is a new arrivial, and a major pest of coconut palms. The Dept. of Agriculture for the state of Hawaii asks the public to report any sightings of rhino beetles or rhino beetle damage to the State Pest Hotline, 643-PEST (643-7378). Photo: HAH [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

37 Comments

Dennis Shore link

4/3/2014 08:17:36 pm

Would like to find more information
found them eating my tomato fruiets

Aunaturale

4/22/2014 06:32:04 am

While picking plumeria blossoms in downtown Honolulu this morning, I found several Oriental Flower beetles on the branches. I've lived here over sixty years, and this is the first time I've ever seen one.

5/13/2014 12:01:04 am

I found these beetles hanging out on my coconut tree flowers and tangerine tree. I believe they are damaging my coconut count.

Meredith speicher

5/31/2014 08:10:59 am

My daughter found the oriental flower beetle. Waialua, Oahu

6/3/2014 09:56:13 am

There is a swarm on my aunts mango tree in Nanakuli! My aunt was wondering why only half of the mango tree produced fruit. When I went to pic some mangos, the beetles were on each branch. This is the first time I have seen this beetle in Nanakuli. I thought the tree might be diseased but after searching online, the beetle matched what I saw and after researching about the beetle, I found out that they eat the flowers of the mango tree. Based off of my observations, the beetle ate the flowers on one side of the tree, and is now working on the other half. I think two things are wise to do, one: let them eat all the mangoes and then die or move on. Or two: use an all natural bug spray...

Amber

6/24/2014 12:06:48 pm

Thanks for the great post. I found one of these in Kahala today and was worried it was a Coconut Rhinocerous beetle.

Kahala Palm

7/19/2014 01:07:04 pm

I find these every day on my palm blossoms. I catch them with my gloved hands and throw them in dawn water to drown. They keep returning.

Jeanne

7/19/2014 05:18:28 pm

Hi Kahal Palm,
Yes, now I am finding them on my manila palms as well. Seems they are getting pretty pesty.

Malia

8/25/2014 01:00:15 pm

I've found these by back window of my car! Leaving my window open on the westsde of Maui is a No No. I've never seen this before..

Ryan Canon Kailua, HI

10/20/2014 06:40:05 am

They're eating through large branches of our Mango tree...What will happen if the whole tree will need to be removed before it falls or becomes a safety hazard? Does the State have a plan to help homeowners remove damaged or infested trees?

Jeanne

10/20/2014 05:57:31 pm

Hi Ryan,
You can try Please call 643-PEST. Another option is to fill in an online form at http://reportapest.org/invasives_report/online.asp
See this website for more info:
http://reportapest.org/

Hope this helps,
Jeanne

Kitty Conrad

11/8/2014 04:42:03 pm

Ryan, why would you expect the state to remove your tree from your property?

Dan

11/14/2014 02:07:10 pm

Found one in my Honolulu apartment today, it somehow managed to reach the 12th floor and crawled through my open windows. Scared the crap out of me.

Kevin

11/22/2014 03:30:57 pm

Aloha,

I live in Hawaii Kai and have been seeing this pest in my garden for about a year. I've lived in my home for 12 years, but this year is the first year I've seen it. I always find 3 or 4 in my pool skimmer. Today I found two feeding on my young Areca palms. What is a good, safe way to control this pest? Sevin? Suggestions anyone?

Dawn link

12/25/2014 09:05:03 am

Control[edit]

Map showing the parts of the United States infested by Japanese beetles, as of Nov. 2006. They are present in many more sites as of July 2012
During the larval stage, the Japanese beetle lives in lawns and other grasslands, where it eats the roots of grasses. During that stage, it is susceptible to a fatal disease called milky spore disease, caused by a bacterium called milky spore, Paenibacillus (formerly Bacillus) popilliae. The USDA developed this biological control and it is commercially available in powder form for application to lawn areas. Standard applications (low density across a broad area) take from one to five years to establish maximal protection against larval survival (depending on climate), expanding through the soil through repeated rounds of infection.

On field crops such as squash, floating row covers can be used to exclude the beetles, however this may necessitate hand pollination of flowers. Kaolin sprays can also be used as barriers.

Research performed by many US extension service branches has shown pheromone traps attract more beetles than they catch.[5][6] Traps are most effective when spread out over an entire community, and downwind and at the borders (i.e., as far away as possible, particularly upwind), of managed property containing plants being protected. Natural repellents include catnip, chives, garlic, and tansy,[7] as well as the remains of dead beetles, but these methods have limited effectiveness.[8] Additionally, when present in small numbers, the beetles may be manually controlled using a soap-water spray mixture, shaking a plant in the morning hours and disposing of the fallen beetles,[6] or simply picking them off attractions such as rose flowers, since the presence of beetles attracts more beetles to that plant.[8]

Natural predators of the beetle are the anchor bug and the blue-winged wasp.[citation needed]

Dawn

12/25/2014 09:03:43 am

I live near the junction of King St., Waialae Ave, Kapiolani Ave. Beetles of this type show up inside my apt. on the 10th floor over the last couple of years. 2 of the dark and gold mottled and 1 of the beautiful solid gold variety. I wonder why they would go into a car or house. Maybe they "smell" sugar and are looking for the sweets that they eat.
I also saw one of these on the other end of Oahu, in Waianae, on ground level. It may have been laying or attending to eggs because it would fly around over the 3 inch high cut lawn grass and then disappear into it.
Of course, all of this except for the facts of where and how I saw the beetle is merely speculation :)
If it is a Japanese flower beetle, then I think there is cause for concern because those buggas eat just about anything with plant sugar in it, from roots to tips!
Here is what I just read
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_beetle
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef451.asp

Jaymie

1/8/2015 03:29:26 am

We just spotted about 6 of these beetles on our tomato plant yesterday in Hawaii Kai. I reported it. Let's see what happens. I'd love to hear how any of you got rid of them (if you have). Thanks!

Lizzie

4/18/2015 04:01:16 am

We found the oriental flower beetle on our mango tree flower this April 15th, 2015! We captured two, and were able to identify them. To our surprise, today (4/18/2015), they are all over the canopy flowers!!
Help! How do I get rid of this pest eating the flowers our of precious mango tree!

Dawn

4/18/2015 11:31:59 am

Wow this is awful, t think that the beetles could interfere with our food. How big is the tree? Could you use some kind of net like mosquito netting?

Dawn

4/18/2015 11:36:55 am

I live in a high rise and they consistently fly in about once a month now. The only way I can think of to simply keep them out of my lanai plants is netting. But- I imagine they could easily chew through mosquito netting. I suppose it needs to be a fairly heavyweight tough synthetic material with small enough holes to prevent beetle passage.

Earl K Murakami

5/10/2015 08:45:30 am

We just noticed a lot of them on our mangoes in Kahului today! And they fly too.

Carla

5/16/2015 09:53:00 am

Just noticed on my two mango trees in Kahului today. Leaves black spots on the leaves. Ordered the oriental flower beetle bags. Will let you know if it works.

Wayne

5/17/2015 10:25:17 am

I just found one of these guys on the table in my yard today. I've never seen one before today.

Elizabeth

7/24/2015 10:00:09 am

Please let us know how this works. I have read about instructions on creating a trap for another flower chafer beetle: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/PESTS/grfruitbeetle.html
The Oriental Flower Beetle has been found to be attracted to methyl eugenol, which is found in oranges and bananas. You may want to incorporate these into your trap. I would be interested if this works, also.

Faith

9/26/2016 11:14:42 pm

This beetle are boring through my spiderlillys looking for a home remedy to apply on my plants

Kai

5/31/2018 06:51:11 pm

These beetles live in Cambodia and Thailand too they like to eat fallen mangoes

Genevieve Antaya

6/10/2018 05:38:17 pm

I found this orieral flower beetle here in Lihue, Kaua'i!!

David Lorence link

6/19/2018 03:49:34 pm

I found this beetle on damaged litchi fruit in Lawai. First time I’ve seen it on Kauai.

Elizabeth Mc

9/29/2018 04:18:45 am

How can I submit a photo?

Karen Kodani link

5/10/2019 06:30:03 pm

Found an Oriental beetle yesterday in HPP Hilo. Froze it in a jar. Spread a Systemic at the base of all my eaten plants. They are shredding my Ti Plants, Bird of Paradise, Coconut fronds and Tangerine tree.

Amy Ramos

6/9/2019 01:40:21 pm

We have a pet tortoise in Pukalani, Maui, and I found a dozen of these in her enclosure on the left over fruit and in her water dish yesterday. I've never seen these beetles before. After reading about the damage they are doing to folks fruit trees, I'm quite worried for our agriculture!

Papanui

6/13/2019 12:40:07 pm

Found in Kapahulu Oahu eating mango then flew away

Robin

10/8/2019 06:01:11 pm

Just found a huge nest in my pappya tree.

Gerry Madie

10/18/2019 07:50:46 pm

I live in HPP in Puna and I've been finding the large dark brown Oriental Flower Beetles in my catchment system's Leaf Eater screens that traps roof and gutter debris. Since I added paint strainer to my Leaf Eater, it appears that they get washed off the roof and gutters during rain events. I'd love to find plans to build a trap large enough to catch these large beetles and not geckoes.

Jocie Sato

1/22/2020 08:16:43 pm

Just found one in Ewa Beach, Hawaii

Kirk

4/26/2020 11:13:54 am

Found a few in Pearl City, the container traps are sold out everywhere and are expensive. There are a lot of diy traps on YouTube, just need the bait and a couple containers we normally throw away, I mean recycle. They start off as grubs so I will also try milky spores or beneficial nematodes if I can get it.

Tracy Adams

5/12/2020 08:02:38 pm

We found the larvae in our compost pile and our chickens had a feast on them. However, there must have been more in our other box planters because this morning we found 5 full grown beetles on the netting. They have a beautiful shell, shiny bronze color. But if these buggers are eating our flowering tomatoes and other flowering plants, that would explain why some of them are struggling this year. I grew up on Oahu and live part-time on Maui, and this is a first time experience for me in 53 years. How do we get rid of them since they are apparently an invasive species?

Beetlejuice Oriental Flower Beetle

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