This beetle was accidentally introduced to the United States on iris roots imported from Japan, and has become a major pest. The adults feed on leaves and fruits of flowers, shrubs and trees, while the larvae eat roots. This pest has been controlled with flies and wasps which are parasitic on the larvae.

The Japanese beetle is about half an inch long with distinctive white spots (5 on each side and 2 at the tip of the abdomen) formed by tufts of white "hair". The specimen photographed is feeding on a goldenrod plant and is a male, since the tibial spurs are pointed (they are rounded in the female). The legs are adapted to grasp leaves securely.

This beetle overwinters in the soil at the larval stage. It pupates in spring, and adults lay eggs on the soil in summer.