Anomala orientalis

Anomala orientalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Genus: Anomala
Species:
A. orientalis
Binomial name
Anomala orientalis
(Waterhouse, 1875)
Synonyms
  • Phyllopertha orientalis Waterhouse, 1875
  • Anomala orientalis (Waterhouse, 1875)
  • Blitopertha orientalis (Waterhouse, 1875)
  • Exomala orientalis (Waterhouse, 1875)

Anomala orientalis (synonym Exomala orientalis), also known as the oriental beetle (OB), is a species of Rutelinae (shining leaf chafers) in the family Scarabaeidae. It is a beetle about 0.7 - 1.1 cm (0.3 - 0.4 inches) long, with mottled, metallic brown- and black-colored elytra and a similarly colored thorax and head during the adult stage. It is sometimes confused with the larger and more colorful Japanese beetle. During the larval stage, the oriental beetle can be identified by the parallel line raster pattern.[1]

This species is native to Asia where it was first found in Japan in 1875. Over time, A. orientalis was spread to other parts of Asia, including Korea, and has since spread to the United States. It was first found in Hawaii and further spread to Northeast states (such as Connecticut, Maine, and New York) as well as some southern states (North Carolina).[2]

Oriental beetles are notorious for their role as pests on plants ranging from sugarcane and other crops (such as maize and pineapple). As larvae, these beetles burrow into the ground as they move throughout fields and chew through plant roots. Their infestation proves to be a current problem that pesticides are aiming to target.[3]

Notably, these beetles have a short mating season that consists of 2 months (mid-June to mid-August) and normally reside beneath the soil burrowed deeply. During mating season, the female will exit the ground and begin emitting a sex pheromone that lures males to her. The molecule also serves as a tool for males to locate the female. After copulation, the female returns back into the ground to deposit her eggs. This is where the larvae will mature and begin feeding on plant roots (its pest behavior).[4]

Adult beetle on a leaf
  1. ^ Jameson, Mary Liz; Paucar-cabrera, Aura; Solís, Angel (July 2003). "Synopsis of the New World Genera of Anomalini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) and Description of a New Genus from Costa Rica and Nicaragua". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 96 (4): 415–432. doi:10.1603/0013-8746(2003)096[0415:SOTNWG]2.0.CO;2. hdl:10057/3384.
  2. ^ Leal, Walter Soares; Hasegawa, Makoto; Sawada, Masaaki; Ono, Mikio (July 1994). "Sex pheromone of oriental beetle, Exomala orientalis: Identification and field evaluation". Journal of Chemical Ecology. 20 (7): 1705–1718. Bibcode:1994JCEco..20.1705L. doi:10.1007/BF02059892. PMID 24242663.
  3. ^ Wenninger, Erik J (2005). Investigations into mating disruption, delayed mating, and multiple mating in oriental beetle, Anomala orientalis (Waterhouse), Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae (Thesis). ProQuest 304996776.[page needed]
  4. ^ Exomala orientalis (Oriental beetle). CABI Compendium (Datasheet). 2022. doi:10.1079/cabicompendium.5510.