Grubs feed on grass roots and damage lawns, golf courses and pastures.
Adults feed on the foliage, flowers or fruits of more than 300 different ornamental and agricultural plants. The beetles were first detected in New Jersey in 1916. Interstate commerce has played a major role in the movement of this pest from the Northeast into the South and Midwest. Approximately 500 pheromone traps were placed at high-risk sites in the state.