After developing into the third and final instar stage, fully mature larvae are typically 25 mm in length and ready to pupate. Parasitic wasp larva feeding externally on white grub, Phyllophaga spp. True white grubs are the larvae of May beetles (also called June Beetles) found in the genus Phyllophaga, of which there are over 100 different species. Adult green June beetle, Cotinis nitida Linnaeus. North Carolina Corn Information. A pelecinid wasp, a natural enemy of white grubs, Phyllophaga spp. In 3 to 4 weeks, small grubs (larvae) hatch from eggs and develop through three stages (instars), with the first two stages lasting about 3 weeks. It is in the grub stage that these insects do the most damage by feeding on grass roots causing the grass to die. However, the distribution of individual species usually is more restricted. Larvae: The length of the larvae varies from 20 to 45 mm. The beetles overwinter in the soil, emerging the following year in May or June when feeding, mating, and egg-laying take place. The common life cycle of the more destructive and abundant of these beetles extends over three years. These stages are marked by the grub molting, or shedding its outer skin after growing a new one underneath. The next autumn the larvae again migrate deep into the soil to overwinter, returning near the soil surface the following spring to feed on plant roots until they are fully grown in late spring. Photograph by James Castner, University of Florida. C. Brown Company. Photograph by Paul M. Choate, University of Florida. Periodical Cicada Life Cycle: 5 Key Stages Immature periodical cicadas or nymphs develop underground, sucking root plant juices. This product’s active ingredient is chlorantraniliprole. Photograph by John L. Capinera, University of Florida. During the years of heavy May beetle infestation, deep-rooted legumes, such as alfalfa or clovers, should be planted. The hind portion of the abdomen is slightly enlarged and appears darker due to the soil particles showing through the body wall. The most commonly encountered white grubs are the larvae of June bugs, European Chafers, Masked Chafers, Billbugs, Oriental Beetles and Japanese Beetles. More than 200 species of insect pests from 100 insect families are susceptible to these insect predators. These are the most common in New England. Once larvae have overwintered, they move again to the surface for a brief feeding period before becoming a fully developed adult in September. Females can lay up to 75 eggs in their short adult life. At the second instar larvae burrow into the soil. The last abdominal segment is clear, allowing dark digested material to be seen. Larvae feed on plant roots, carrion, or dung, depending on the type of scarab. All Rights Reserved. June bugs are commonly seen in many areas in the United States, as well as other regions of the world which facilitate their living conditions. Figure 5. Fortunately, there are just a few basic larval types and they are relatively easy to recognize. These white grubs are laid in midsummer in sunny areas of the lawn . June Bug. Grubs are the larval stage of the common May or June beetle or the Southern masked chafer. Adult beetles are nocturnal bugs and do not appear during the day, making detection difficult. 1979. They root around just below the surface, eating the roots of grass and other plants as they grow. Stehr FW. Woodruff RE, Beck BM. Ritcher PO. The pupa is usually white, faint yellow, or dark brown in color. 1966. As an adult, I feed at night and eat vegetation, usually the leaves from trees and bushes. June bugs, also called May or June beetles, go through a life cycle that spans one to three years. Grubs feed now for between four and six months. During the first stage of growth the grubs feed on the roots of the grass in the lawn. Photograph by John L. Capinera, University of Florida. Adults:May beetles are about 12 to 25 mm long. No-tillage or reduced tillage crop management encourages grub populations. Grubs feed close to the surface of the lawn and are most vulnerable to chemical control with pesticides at this time. 1993. White grubs. Grub will feed until the temperature begins to drop in autumn. A pyrgotid fly, a natural enemy of white grubs, Phyllophaga spp. During the first stage of growth the grubs feed on the roots of the grass in the lawn. Late spring or early autumn plowing destroys many larvae, pupae, and adults in the soil and also exposes the insects to predators, such as birds and skunks. Also, Cordyceps fungus infects the grubs. Adults emerge the following spring. Like it? Phyllophaga larvae and other larvae of the family Scarabaeidae are often referred to as white grubs, including larvae of the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman), annual white grubs (Cyclocephala spp. In the late summer and fall of their third year (or second year in the case of Phyllophaga tristis), larvae begin pupating in the soil. June bugs’ larvae are whitish, C-shaped grubs that live underground. Most adults are yellow to dark reddish-brown to black, robust, oblong, glossy beetles. Some, such as the green June beetle, are more brightly colored. Damage to the lawn is not easily recognized at this stage. Scotts GrubEx, 5,000-sq ft against Larvae. They are small, spherical, pearly white eggs that darken just before hatching. 1989.The Scarab Beetles of Florida (USA): (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Part II. Grubs often feed into August, when they change into their second stage of growth. Natural enemies that control these white grubs include parasitic wasps and flies in the genera Tiphia and Myzinum (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae), and Pelecinus polyturator Drury (Hymenoptera: Pelecinidae), and the fly, Pyrgota undata (Diptera: Pyrgotidae). … They feed on foliage and flowers at night, sometimes causing considerable damage. New York. The fully grown larva color is glassy yellowish white shading toward green or blue at the head and tail. Two parallel rows of spines seen on the undersi… The larvae will molt twice before winter. Tashiro H. 1973. The female will lay from 60-75 eggs underground. Adult Japanese beetles (June bugs) typically lay eggs in lawns in June. About 75% of all insect species go through the four stages of complete metamorphosis - egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. Dubuque, Iowa. Immature Insects (Volume 2). Typical June beetle, adult of white grub, of the genus Phyllophaga. The greatest damage to crops occurs the year after the appearance of the adults. Life Cycle of the European Chafer Beetle. Figure 4. Some species of larvae need more than one year to develop, so they hibernate in the soil again once the weather drops in the autumn. The time period to reach adulthood from the pupal stage varies dramatically among different types of beetles. This is how the grub gets bigger, and it typically happens over the course of two years, depending on the life cycle length of the species. Lawn grubs are a common pest of the home lawn. The worm-like larvae form the pupa or cocoon as it often called, then lay dormant. Can the June bug insect be dealt with entirely naturally? As they grow and feed in July, the females begin laying a series of 60 eggs under the soil. Within 13 (a 13-year-old cicada) or 17 years (a 17-year-old cicada) in the soil, the mature nymphs emerge and climb right onto some vertical surface or nearby vegetation. As adult beetles, we swarm in great numbers in early summer, usually at dark and are strongly attracted to lights.. What I eat: As a larva, I live underground and eat the roots of grasses and other plants. This is the stage that lets them molt from grubs to adult beetles. The European chafer beetle originated in continental Europe but is now an invasive species found in temperate climates in North America, where they are often called June bugs. Bulletin of the Entomological Society of America 19: 92-94. An understanding to the life cycle of this insect will be of importance to those responsible for its elimination and control. It then enters into the ‘pupal stage’ which can take up to 9 months and usually happens over the winter period. My Home: Found all over North America, I hide in trees during the day. The Phyllophaga life cycles vary somewhat because some species complete their growth in one year, while others require as much as four years. Larvae develop through 3 larval stages (instars) where they grow then shed their exoskeleton (a process known as moulting) at each stage. 241. Lawn grubs are a common pest of the home lawn. The June Bug is a nocturnal beetle that hatches from a larvae in the springtime of the year. Scarab beetles generally lay their eggs in the ground, in dung, or in other decomposing materials including carrion. Most adults are yellow to dark reddish-brown to black, robust, oblong, glossy beetles. Grub is a term used most often to refer to the larval stage of one of three beetle species: the European chafer, June beetle and Japanese beetle. In the southern United States, the name green June beetle is applied to a similar green-and-brown beetle that, in the adult stages, feeds on ripe figs and other fruit. The last larval stage remains in the soil from the fall through spring. Davidson RH, Lyon WF. Adults: May beetles are about 12 to 25 mm long. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! The larval stage is when June bugs are the most harmful to lawns and gardens. Although white grubs can be a problem every year, the most serious damage occurs in regular three year cycles. It's during this period when the larvae pupate. Adults are medium to dark brown. Phyllophaga spp. At the end of summer during its final instar, the grub digs deep into the soil so it is protected from cold weather. pp. The grubs have excessively high appetites and feed constantly. The large grubs of the chafer feed on the roots of both wild and cultivated cool-latitude grasses, which has made them a critter-non-grata on North American lawns. Typical white grub of the genus Phyllophaga. Eggs hatch about three weeks later into young larvae that feed upon roots and decaying vegetation throughout the summer and, in autumn, migrate downward (to a depth of up to 1.5 meters) and remain inactive until the following spring. Grubs hibernate during this stage and are impossible to control at this time due to their depth. June beetle larvae, called white grubs, are about 25 mm (1 inch) long and live in the soil. Dubuque, Iowa. Adult Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman. Now after 4-8 weeks of chomping away under ground, the larvae will pupate. Photograph by Jim Kalisch, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. During the spring, damage is more apparent than root damage during the fall. Grubs begin to feed again, this time more aggressively. Larvae are white with a C-shaped body, brown head, and three pairs of legs. White grubs and their allies: a study of North American scarabaeoid larvae. Because the grubs have destroyed the roots the grass pulls back easily. Since the adults are attracted to trees to feed, they tend to lay most eggs in the higher portions of sod near wooded areas. Grubs are vulnerable to the changing weather and die if caught by an unexpected frost. Damage to the lawn is not easily recognized at this stage. The heavy-bodied June beetles vary from 12 to 25 mm (0.5 to 1 inch) and have shiny wing covers (elytra). Adults bury themselves under the dirt during the day, reports the University of Missouri. The grubs burrow deep underground to survive the winter. In late March and April, grubs move back up to the surface of the soil. Destructive and Useful Insects: Their Habits and Control. Adult Beetle. Jaques HE. Inoculating the soil with bacterial spores of Bacillus popilliae Dutky and Bacillus lentimorbus Dutky aids in reducing populations. WM. The egg hatches and the fly larva enters the body cavity of the beetle, feeding on and eventually killing the host before pupating. Grubs are the larval stage of the European chafer, June beetle (June bug) and/or Japanese beetle. They grow exponentially and molt twice before moving on to the next stage of their life cycle. Insect Pests of Farm, Garden, and Orchard. How to Know the Beetles. 1951. 378-385. 126-128. Figure 1. ), and the green June beetle (Cotinis nitida Linnaeus). Some, such as the green June beetle, are more brightly colored. Larvae are characteristically C-shaped with a white body and tan to brown head. Grubs feed close to the surface of the lawn and are most vulnerable to chemical control with pesticides at this time. Figure 3. The River Bug on the Black Sea at midsummer brings down some thin membranes that look like berries out of which burst a four-legged caterpillar in the manner of the creature mentioned above, but it does not live beyond one day, owing to which it is called the hemerobius. The egg, larva, and pupa life cycle stages develop underground and unless soil is removed or dug into, these life stages will not be seen. After two to three weeks, grubs hatch. White grub, Phyllophaga spp., infected with Cordyceps fungus. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. New York. Pupa: The length of the pupae varies from 20 to 24 mm long. White grubs are the slug-like larval stage of many insects. Adults emerge from pupae in about 3 weeks. 1991. IDENTIFICATION: White grubs are the larval stage of May or June beetles. Larvae are white with a C-shaped body, brown head, and three pairs of legs. If corn or small grains are present, every effort should be made to keep the field free of grass and weed growth to reduce the number of beetle eggs laid. This results in drought susceptibility and the ability to easily pull the grass away from the soil surface. June bug larvae are small white grubs with brown heads. During the larval portion of their life cycle, June bugs go through three separate instars, or stages. The outer skin of the grub is thicker than in the fall, making chemical control at this time nearly impossible. Bionomics and control of root feeding insect pests: grubs and billbugs. Take a look at the life cycle and characteristics of this mini-beast, and also read some interesting facts about it.