NATIVE RANGE: East Asia

FIRST FINDING IN SLOVENIA: not yet found in Slovenia

PATHWAYS: hitchiker

POSSIBLE TO FIND: May-August

FLIGHT SEASON OF ADULTS: May-August

DESCRIPTION: A robust beetle, 8–12  mm long. The thorax is metallic green, while the elytra are coppery -red and somewhat shorter than the abdomen. The edge of the abdomen is adorned with 6 pairs of white hairy tufts. The spherical to slightly cylindrical eggs are translucent to creamy white. The larva (a grub) is creamy white with a yellowish-brown head, three pairs of legs and a thickened hind part. At rest, it lies in a C-shape. Adult beetles feed on plant leaves while the larvae live underground and eat plant roots and this damage may cause plants to die. It overwinters underground in the larval stage.

HABITAT: Polyphagous on a wide variety of deciduous trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. They occur in natural habitats as well as agricultural and urban environments.

STATUS: Only found in a few European countries so far, but rapidly spreading to neighbouring countries.

SIMILAR SPECIES: The native garden chafer (Phyllopertha horticola) lacks hairy white tufts at the end of its abdomen.

SOURCE: Field Guide to Invasive Alien Species in European Forests