Any of several species of scarab beetle (most in the subfamily Melolonthinae). Adult leaf chafers (genus Macrodactylus) eat foliage; the female deposits her eggs in the soil, and the larvae live underground for years, feeding on plant roots. The well-known rose chafer, a tan, long-legged beetle, feeds on the flowers and foliage of grapes, roses, and other plants. Poultry that eat rose-chafer grubs may be poisoned
A long-legged gray North American beetle (Macrodactylus subspinosus) that causes damage to the roots, leaves, and blossoms of garden plants, especially roses. Also called rose beetle, rose bug
chafer
Hyphenation
chaf·er
Pronunciation
Etymology
[ 'chA-f&r ] (noun.) before 12th century. Middle English cheaffer, from Old English ceafor; probably akin to Old English ceafl jowl; more at JOWL.