Not only do they destroy the fruit at blossom, in addition, they frequently skeletonize the leaves, leaving only the large veins intact. This insect is especially abundant in areas of light, sandy soil where beetles may appear suddenly as grapes begin to bloom. The adult rose chafer is about 0.5 inches in length with long, spiny, reddish-brown legs that gradually become darker near the tip. As they age, hairs are worn off the head and thorax with normal activity revealing the black color below. Thus, they become mottled in color as they mate and move around in the flower clusters, making it possible to distinguish newly emerged adults from older specimens.
Females frequently lose more hairs, particularly on the thorax, in the mating process.
Eggs of the rose chafer are oval, white, shiny in appearance, and about 0.05 inches long and 0.03 inches in width. Larvae are C-shaped white grubs about 0.8 inches long and 0.12 inches wide when fully grown. Mature larvae have three distinct pairs of legs, a brown head capsule, and a dark rectal sac visible through the integument. Larvae are found in sandy soil feeding on grass roots and can be identified by a distinctive rastral pattern. The pupae are light yellowish-brown in color and have prominent legs.