Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were carried out to study food and oviposition preference by Phyllophaga cuyabana (Moser) on different plant species as Cajanus cajan L. (pigeon pea), Crotalaria juncea L. (sun hemp), Crotalaria spectabilis Roth (showy crotalaria), Crotalaria ochroleuca G. Don (slenderleaf rattlebox), Glycine max [L.] Merrill (soybean), Gossypium hirsutum L. (cotton), Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower), Stizolobium aterrimum [Mucuna aterrima] Piper & Tracey (velvetbean) and Zea mays L. (mayze). In no-choice experiments, the number of eggs layed in sunflower, C. juncea and soybean was larger compared to cotton. Despite the fact that the adults did not discriminate among plants, in dual-choice test, the proportion of eggs layed and leaf consumption by P. cuyabana adults in soybean were significantly higher than in C. spectabilis. The larval distribution in the soil was at random in multiple-choice, withouth any trend of preference, but in dual-choice, when soybean was the control, larvae always preferred to feed on its roots. P. cuyabana adults had preference for more suitable hosts and that could stand their offspring survival. This behaviour can be usefully exploited in an integrated management program for this pest.365759764Craig, T.P., Itami, J.K., Price, P.W., A strong relationship between oviposition preference and larval performance in a shoot-galling sawfly (1989) Ecology, 70, pp. 1691-1699Diagne, A. 2004. Seasonal occurrence of Phyllophaga species and biological studies of Phyllophaga ephilida (Say) on sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (1) Lam, in Louisiana. PhD thesis, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, 101pMoron, M.A., (1986) El genero Phyllophaga en México: Morfología, distribución y sistematica supraespecifica, , México, Instituto de Ecología, 341pOliveira, L.J., B. Santos, J.R.P. Parra & C.B. Hoffmann-Campo. 2004. Coró-da-soja, p.151-176. In J.R. Salvadori, C.J. Ávila & M.T.B. da Silva (org.), Pragas de solo no Brasil. Passo Fundo, Embrapa Trigo, Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste, Fundacep, 541pOliveira, L.J., Garcia, M.A., Flight, feeding and reproductive behaviour of Phyllophaga cuyabana (Moser) (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae) adults (2003) Pesq. Agropec. Bras, 38, pp. 179-186Potter, D.A., Held, D.W., Biology and management of the Japanese beetle (2002) Annu. Rev. Entomol, 47, pp. 175-205Silva, M.T.B. da & J.R. Salvadori. 2004. Coró-das-pastagens, p.191-210. In J.R. Salvadori, C.J. Ávila & M.T.B. da Silva (org.), Pragas de solo no Brasil. Passo Fundo, Embrapa Trigo, Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste, Fundacep, 541pSilva, da, M.T.B., Tarragó, M.F.S., Link, D., Costa, E.C., Preferência de oviposição de Diloboderus abderus (Sturm) por restos de culturas em solo com plantio direto (1996) An. Soc. Entomol. Brasil, 25, pp. 83-87Rausher, M.D., Alteration of oviposition behaviour by Battus philenor butterflies in response to variation in host-plant density (1983) Ecology, 64, pp. 1028-1034Thompson, H.N., Evolutionary ecology of the relationship between oviposition preference and performance of offspring in phytophagous insects (1988) Entomol. Exp. Appl, 47, pp. 3-14Travis, B.V., Habits of the June beetle, Phyllophaga lanceolata (Say), in Iowa (1939) J. Econ. Entomol, 32, pp. 690-695