Abstract
Seasonal changes in number of chafer were investigated by counting numbers of adults caught in a 60-w incandescent light trap at Kanoya during 1961-1972 and in a 20-w blacklight trap at Kushira during 1974-1977. Total numbers of chafer caught annually in the traps fluctuated between 1, 000 and 4, 000 at Kanoya and between 70, 000 and 120, 000 at Kushira. Particularly at Kushira, chafer populations increased year by year. This tendency was observed markedly for Anomala rufocuprea MOTSHULSKY, which was dominant among 15 species collected, accounting for about 70% of total catches at Kushira. A. geniculata MOTSHULSKY, A. daimiana HAROLD, A. albopilosa HOPE and A. cuprea HOPE were subdominant and the remainder were very small in number. Total catches of all species showed the same trend at the two places: the number of catches began to increase from May and ended in September or October, reaching its peak in August. A. rufocuprea exhibited a wide range of colour variation.
