Adoretus versutus

Adoretus versutus, commonly known as the rose beetle, is a species of shining leaf chafer found in Afro-Oriental tropics. It is also referred to as the Indian rose beetle, leaf chafer beetle, Fijian root grub, and Fijian cane root grub. Native to Oriental regions, it is present in countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, St. Helena, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Wallis Islands, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. In introduced regions, it has become a major pest due to the absence of natural predators. The lifecycle of Adoretus versutus typically takes three months. Females lay eggs in soil during the monsoon season (May-August), which hatch after 8-14 days. Larvae feed on roots and move deeper into the soil during droughts, resurfacing during wet periods. Pupation occurs before the next monsoon, with adults emerging after rainy showers. Larvae are whitish-translucent, C-shaped grubs, reaching 20–25 mm in their third instar. Their head is reddish-brown, and the last abdominal segment is swollen and dark due to soil ingestion. They have nine pairs of creamy-white spiracles. Pupae are yellowish-brown, becoming darker in later stages, and measure about 16 mm in length. Adults are 12–14 mm long, with males smaller than females. Their reddish-chestnut bodies are broader and convex, with a shiny underside. The antennae are brown with ten segments, the last three forming plate-like structures. The pronotum is dark and less punctate in the mid-region, while the clypeus and frons are darker. Acute teeth on the tibia of the first ...