Duane A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator, Webster County
May 29, 2010 Edition
They're big, they're loud and they're ugly. June bugs are on the attack, and I am amazed at how many people questions about these large pests, that only show up once a year. I would agree with everyone, however, that we do have an extra large population of them this year. They are around street lights, yard lights, filling stations and most anywhere where there is light during the night. Most people are of the opinion that these nasty pests seem to have no purpose. They fly around aimlessly, stick to anything they happen to land on and to some people --they are just plain frightening!! We have always called them “bugs”, but they are really a beetle, about an inch long, kind of reddish brown. They appear in late May or early June and then vanish until the next year. One thing is certain-- the birds are having a smorgasbord! It is actually a lot of fun watching them go after the live ones and be a little picky on the dead ones. Perhaps it is the spirit of the chase more than the delicacy of the insect. Even though many people are afraid of June bugs, they are basically harmless to humans and to dogs and cats that love to chase and even eat these things.
That brings me to a couple of questions that I have been asked. “Can eating these things be bad on by dog (or cat)? The quick answer is – “Not if they don’t hit them in the eye!” Actually on the serious side, it is very natural and is really a part of the natural tendency that comes from their wild ancestors which lived on beetles, grubs, and of course small animals. They also have so much fun doing it and it is fun watching them, even if that crunch sound that is made when they bite on them is a bit unnerving to some people. I have to admit thinking of eating one of those things doesn’t appeal to me and in fact makes me a little queasy, it is however a very good source of protein. How about that?
As I said earlier, June bugs are really “beetles”, which are in the group of insects with the largest number of known species. They are classified in the order Coleoptera, which contains more described species than in any other order in the animal kingdom, constituting about 25% of all known life-forms. June bugs (beetles) are scientifically known as “Phyllophaga”, which is a very large genus (more than 260 species) of New World scarab beetles in the subfamily called “Melolonthinae”. The generic name is derived from the Greek words “phyllon”, which means "leaf", and “phagos”, which means "eater", with a plural ending. Don’t worry we won’t have a quiz on this later.
Common names for this genus and many other related genera are May beetles, June bugs, and June beetles. They range in size from 8–25 mm and are blackish or reddish-brown in color, without prominent markings, and often rather hairy ventrally. I think that everyone that has been around these pests know that these beetles are nocturnal (come out at night), and that they are attracted to lights. So that's where the banging, head knocking, and such goes on. You would not even be aware that they were around if it wasn’t for this weakness or habit which is annoying to us and fun for our pets.
When I said they were harmless to humans and pets, it doesn’t mean that they are harmless to other things. They may cause significant damage when emerging in large numbers. The larvae (called white grubs) feed on the roots of grasses and other plants. This insect goes through a three-year life cycle. So they spend most of their life in the soil. The insects pupate underground in the fall and emerge as adults the following spring. After the eggs are hatched, the grubs eat the roots of grass. When they mature into adults three years later, they emerge to eat the leaves of trees and or bushes. The adult beetles are very clumsy, both on land and in the air. They are actually “chafers”, feeding on foliage of trees and shrubs. After the bugs emerge and lay eggs in the soil, the adult beetles simply die and the life cycle begins again.
Adult chafers eat the leaves and flowers of many deciduous trees, shrubs and other plants. In fact you may hear or see them in trees, bushes etc. Especially at night which can be a little unnerving if you are right under them! However, their fat, white grubs (reaching 40–45 mm long when full grown) live in the soil and do the most damage. They feed on plant roots, especially those of grasses and cereals, and are occasional pests in pastures, gardens, and golf courses. 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. The grubs sometimes attack vegetables and other garden plants, e.g. lettuce, raspberry, strawberry and young ornamental 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.
You may want to write down the year 2013 as you can expect it to be a another huge year for the beetles and 2012 for grubs. You can bet that we probably had similar numbers in 2007. You can imagine that so many eggs should have been laid that year we should have expected this. But did any of you remember that? I know I didn’t. June bugs have always been a part of early summer or late spring.
Finally, I want to thank everyone that was involved in putting on the South Central Nebraska Livestock Judging Contest that was held on May 28 at the Webster County Fairgrounds. We had over 50 young people learning and polishing their skills in livestock selection and judging. It was a fun and rewarding experience for me and I hope for the youth!
The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/home
Saturday, May 29, 2010
STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH
Duane A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator, Webster County
May 29, 2010 Edition
They're big, they're loud and they're ugly. June bugs are on the attack, and I am amazed at how many people questions about these large pests, that only show up once a year. I would agree with everyone, however, that we do have an extra large population of them this year. They are around street lights, yard lights, filling stations and most anywhere where there is light during the night. Most people are of the opinion that these nasty pests seem to have no purpose. They fly around aimlessly, stick to anything they happen to land on and to some people --they are just plain frightening!! We have always called them “bugs”, but they are really a beetle, about an inch long, kind of reddish brown. They appear in late May or early June and then vanish until the next year. One thing is certain-- the birds are having a smorgasbord! It is actually a lot of fun watching them go after the live ones and be a little picky on the dead ones. Perhaps it is the spirit of the chase more than the delicacy of the insect. Even though many people are afraid of June bugs, they are basically harmless to humans and to dogs and cats that love to chase and even eat these things.
That brings me to a couple of questions that I have been asked. “Can eating these things be bad on by dog (or cat)? The quick answer is – “Not if they don’t hit them in the eye!” Actually on the serious side, it is very natural and is really a part of the natural tendency that comes from their wild ancestors which lived on beetles, grubs, and of course small animals. They also have so much fun doing it and it is fun watching them, even if that crunch sound that is made when they bite on them is a bit unnerving to some people. I have to admit thinking of eating one of those things doesn’t appeal to me and in fact makes me a little queasy, it is however a very good source of protein. How about that?
As I said earlier, June bugs are really “beetles”, which are in the group of insects with the largest number of known species. They are classified in the order Coleoptera, which contains more described species than in any other order in the animal kingdom, constituting about 25% of all known life-forms. June bugs (beetles) are scientifically known as “Phyllophaga”, which is a very large genus (more than 260 species) of New World scarab beetles in the subfamily called “Melolonthinae”. The generic name is derived from the Greek words “phyllon”, which means "leaf", and “phagos”, which means "eater", with a plural ending. Don’t worry we won’t have a quiz on this later.
Common names for this genus and many other related genera are May beetles, June bugs, and June beetles. They range in size from 8–25 mm and are blackish or reddish-brown in color, without prominent markings, and often rather hairy ventrally. I think that everyone that has been around these pests know that these beetles are nocturnal (come out at night), and that they are attracted to lights. So that's where the banging, head knocking, and such goes on. You would not even be aware that they were around if it wasn’t for this weakness or habit which is annoying to us and fun for our pets.
When I said they were harmless to humans and pets, it doesn’t mean that they are harmless to other things. They may cause significant damage when emerging in large numbers. The larvae (called white grubs) feed on the roots of grasses and other plants. This insect goes through a three-year life cycle. So they spend most of their life in the soil. The insects pupate underground in the fall and emerge as adults the following spring. After the eggs are hatched, the grubs eat the roots of grass. When they mature into adults three years later, they emerge to eat the leaves of trees and or bushes. The adult beetles are very clumsy, both on land and in the air. They are actually “chafers”, feeding on foliage of trees and shrubs. After the bugs emerge and lay eggs in the soil, the adult beetles simply die and the life cycle begins again.
Adult chafers eat the leaves and flowers of many deciduous trees, shrubs and other plants. In fact you may hear or see them in trees, bushes etc. Especially at night which can be a little unnerving if you are right under them! However, their fat, white grubs (reaching 40–45 mm long when full grown) live in the soil and do the most damage. They feed on plant roots, especially those of grasses and cereals, and are occasional pests in pastures, gardens, and golf courses. 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. The grubs sometimes attack vegetables and other garden plants, e.g. lettuce, raspberry, strawberry and young ornamental 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.
You may want to write down the year 2013 as you can expect it to be a another huge year for the beetles and 2012 for grubs. You can bet that we probably had similar numbers in 2007. You can imagine that so many eggs should have been laid that year we should have expected this. But did any of you remember that? I know I didn’t. June bugs have always been a part of early summer or late spring.
Finally, I want to thank everyone that was involved in putting on the South Central Nebraska Livestock Judging Contest that was held on May 28 at the Webster County Fairgrounds. We had over 50 young people learning and polishing their skills in livestock selection and judging. It was a fun and rewarding experience for me and I hope for the youth!
The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/home
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