June Beetle (Phyllophaga sp.)

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Phyllophaga - Wikipedia
White Grubs - University of Florida

I encounter June beetles (also known as May beetles) every spring and summer. They are one of the most conspicuous and best known insects in the Houston area. In the evening of March 22, 2017, I found a black june beetle in the breezeway and brought it indoors to get better light.

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This picture, taken on the same day, shows the ridge along the central edge of the elytra.

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On April 17, 2017, I finished shredding the last of the unshredded leaves in my backyard. When I ran my large shovel along the ground to sccop up leaves, I could see several "white grubs"--the June beetle larvae-- in shallow pits on the surface of the bare ground. Once they were exposed, they immediately started digging their way back underground.

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