Brown Cockchafer - Rhopaea magnicornis
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 find this beetle in summer flying towards our windows.
- The larvae, known as white cane grubs, live in soil and root parts of plants.
- You may have noticed that in all our other insects and spiders web pages, pictures were taken where the insects were in their natural habitat. However, in this Scarab Beetles web site, some of the picture are specimen photo. We did not collect them in the field, instead, those beetles attached by our windows light and we found their body near our house. We collected them and make those specimen.
- Every year in late spring to early summer, 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.
