Oulema species, cereal pest, grasses, Fiji

September 2017. A member from Fiji sent photos of a beetle feeding heavily on Crowsfoot Grass and other grasses in Sigatoka, Fiji. The beetles are about 3-6 mm in size. The damage looks like that done by herbicides from a distance.

A member wrote that these beetles, Oulema species, feeds on grasses and have an unpleasant habit of carrying their faeces in a droplet on their bodies. Some species are significant cereal pests (e.g., wheat) and may be a pest in lawns.