Phyllophagais a very largegenus(more than 900 species) ofNew Worldscarab beetlesin the subfamilyMelolonthinae.Common names for this genus and many other related genera in the subfamily Melolonthinae areMay beetles,June bugs,andJuly beetles.[1][2]They range in size from 12 to 35 mm (0.47 to 1.38 in)[1][2]and are blackish or reddish-brown in colour, without prominent markings, and often rather hairy ventrally. These beetles are nocturnal, and are attracted toartificial lightsin great numbers.
| Phyllophaga | |
|---|---|
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| Phyllophaga | |
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| CommonPhyllophagafound in Michigan | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Scarabaeidae |
| Subfamily: | Melolonthinae |
| Tribe: | Melolonthini |
| Genus: | Phyllophaga Harris,1827 |
| Species | |
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> 900 | |
The generic name is derived from the Greek wordsphyllon(φυλλον), which means "leaf", andphagos(φαγος), which means "eater".[2]
Life cycle
editThe life cycle takes about one year. Females lay 60 to 75 eggs over a period of about two weeks in midsummer. The white egg at first is elliptical (1.5 mm by 2.1 mm) but becomes more spherical as the larva inside develops. These hatch intowhite grubsabout 18 days after laying. The newly hatchedlarvaeare 8 mm long and grow to a length around 40 mm. Whitish with a brownish-black head, the grubs have conspicuous brown spiracles along the sides of their bodies. They molt twice before winter. The third larval stage lasts nearly nine months, after which theypupate.They hibernate overwinter as grubs that may become active on warm winter days. They increase their activity in the spring.
Diet
editThe adults arechafers,feeding on foliage of trees and shrubs. They may cause significant damage when emerging in large numbers. The larvae (calledwhite grubs) feed on the roots of grasses and other plants.
Adult chafers eat the leaves and flowers of manydeciduoustrees, shrubs, and other plants. However, white grubs (reaching 40–45 mm long when full grown) live in thesoiland feed on plant roots, especially those of grasses and cereals, and are occasional pests in pastures, nurseries, gardens, and golf courses. An obvious indication of infestation is the presence of birds, such as crows, peeling back the grass to get to the grubs. The injury consists of poorly growing patches that quickly turn brown in dry weather. The grubs can be found immediately below the surface, usually lying in a characteristic comma-like position.[3]
The grubs sometimes attack vegetables and other garden plants, e.g.lettuce,raspberries,strawberries,potatoes,and youngornamental trees.Injury to the roots and rootstock causes small saplings and tender tap-rooted plants like lettuce to wilt suddenly or to show stunted growth and a tendency to shed leaves prematurely. Plants growing in rows are usually attacked in succession as the grubs move along from one plant to the next. Chafer grubs feed below ground for 3–4 years before changing into adult beetles.[3]
Predators
editSomePyrgotidaeflies pursue the beetles in flight to lay an egg on the beetle's back under theelytrawhere the beetle cannot reach it. The egg hatches and the fly larva enters the body cavity of the beetle, feeding on and eventually killing the host beforepupating.A species of bee fly,Exoprosopa fasciata,is also a parasite of this genus. The fly larvae feed on the beetle grub in the ground and pupate in the grub cell where they stay over the winter.[4]Waspsin numerous families, includingPelecinidae,Scoliidae,andTiphiidae,areparasitoidsofPhyllophagagrubs. A variety of amphibians, some small mammals, includingskunksandmoles,feed on the grubs.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abenature."May Beetles Cycle".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-16.Retrieved2010-12-10.
- ^abcBugGuide."Genus Phyllophaga - May Beetles - BugGuide.Net".Iowa State University.Retrieved2010-12-10.
- ^ab"June Beetle".Red Planet Inc.Retrieved2013-12-23.
- ^Hull, Frank (1973).Bee Flies of the World.Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. pp.Page 31.ISBN0-87474-131-9.
Further reading
edit- Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence (1961).A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America.Evanston, Illinois: Row, Peterson, and Company.
- Evans, Arthur W.Generic Guide to New World Scarabs—subfamily Melolonthinae
- Haarstad, John A.Insects of Cedar Creek, MinnesotaArchived2012-02-04 at theWayback Machine
- Smith, A. B. T. (2003). Checklist of the Scarabaeoidea of the Nearctic Realm. Version 3. Electronically published, Lincoln, Nebraska. 74 pp, availablehere.
- White, Richard E. (1998).Beetles: A Field Guide to the Beetles of North America.Boston: Houghton Mifflin.ISBN0-395-91089-7.
External links
edit
- Phyllophagaspp.on theUF/IFASFeatured Creatures Web site