As it warms up, we spend more time in our backyards in the summer. We eagerly anticipate harvesting the fruits of our labor and enjoying the landscape around us as the sun goes down.
We aren’t alone and often accompanied by unwanted guests. One of which is the June Bug.
What We’ll Discuss
What Are June Bugs?
June bugs, also known as June beetles or May bugs, are commonly seen throughout the United States during the early summer months.
They belong to the Scarabaeidae family in the Cyclocephala and Phyllophaga genera. Phyllophaga encapsulates about 900 beetle species, 250 of which have been identified as residing in North America. The “common” June bug is Phyllophaga crinita.
On close inspection, you can understand its family connection as it resembles the scarab beetles we normally associate with the ancient Egyptians, only in miniature.
It can be both useful and a troublesome pest in the adult or juvenile form.
This beetle prefers to target fruit trees, shrubs, lawns, flowers, and crops. It can impact produce from the garden, homestead, and commercial farms.
The beetles range from tan or reddish to nearly black, and are large, between a half inch to an inch long. They usually have hairy fronts and their legs are are grippy, able to latch onto leaves, walls, and even your hair.
Lifecycle
June bugs’ lifecycle follows a typical pattern for beetles that undergo complete metamorphosis from egg to reproductive age, known as “holometabolous development.”
The specific timing and duration of each lifecycle stage can vary depending on factors such as temperature, moisture levels, and regional variations. Their entire lifecycle takes three years.
1. Egg Stage
Female June bugs typically lay eggs in moist soil during the summer months.
The small, white eggs are laid in clusters and hatch within about 3 to 4 weeks. This length of time depends upon environmental conditions at the time.
2. Larval Stage
The eggs give rise to the June bug offspring, commonly known as white grubs. This larval stage is the longest phase in the lifecycle, lasting approximately one to three years, but up to five years isn’t unheard of. It’s also the most destructive stage.
The grubs have a C-shaped body, are white and cream in color, and feed on the roots of plants. As they feed, they damage the roots and disrupt the plant’s ability to take up nutrients and water.
This is the point where June bugs really earn the ire of gardeners. They can destroy lawn, turning it into an ugly, yellow mess.
3. Pupal Stage
When the larvae are fully grown, they pupate by forming a protective cocoon in the soil. Inside the cocoon, the larvae undergo metamorphosis and transform into adult beetles.
This stage ends in the spring when they emerge from the soil during the night and fly off into the night to find mates and breed.
4. Adult Stage
Once the metamorphosis is complete, adult June bugs emerge from the soil. This happens around May or June, which is where the name comes from. They are active at night, which is why you generally only see them slamming against windows or circling lights.
Adults feed on foliage, tree bark, flowers, fruit, and grass.
Adults are most active at dusk and during the night, seeking a mate. They are drawn lights on porches, decks, in gardens, and on houses. They also clack and clatter against windows at night as they try to reach indoor lights.
As June bugs enter adulthood, they are able to reproduce; it’s the main purpose of their adult stage.
Female June bugs can lay clumps of 50 to 200 eggs. These emerge from the soil to eat and mate, then lay their eggs back in the soil to start a new lifecycle.
9 Common Species
We’ve chosen ten of the most prevalent species of these bugs found in the US, but as already noted, there are a lot more.
1. Common June Bug
Phyllophaga crinita is known as the common June bug. It thrives in turfgrass, killing large swaths and earning the ire of many homeowners.
It’s characterized by its reddish carapace and long, segmented antennae.
2. Green June Beetle
These beetles (Cotinis nitida) are a metallic green color with a bronze hue, with gold sides, and are found in the eastern United States, with smaller populations as far west as California.
This is one of the June bugs that are active during the day rather than just at night and has a lifecycle of just one year.
3. Grapevine Beetle
Grapevine beetles, also known as spotted June beetles (Pelidnota punctata), are generally found in the eastern regions of the United States.
This larger species of June bug can measure over an inch in length at full maturity. It’s reddish-brown or dark yellow in color with a distinctive set of four black-colored spots on its wing covers. The larvae can be up to two inches long and the lifecycle takes two years.
They’re called the grapevine beetle as they’re often found feeding on grapevines, but not exclusively. They tend to emerge from the soil later in the year, typically July.
4. Figeater Beetle
These beetles (Cotinis mutabilis) are commonly found in the southwestern United States and are metallic green in color with a bronze hue and grow up to an inch and a quarter long. They aren’t a true June bug, but they look and act similarly.
They’re partial to ripe fruit, particularly figs, which is no surprise given their common name. They also feed on pollen, sap, and nectar.
5. Broad-Faced June Bug
Phyllophaga latifrons is found throughout North America but especially the south. It’s known for it’s distinctive broad head and large size up to one and a half inches in length. They are dark brown or black.
They feed on the leaves of various plants and trees, particularly oak, beech, and hickory trees.
6. Rugose June Bug
Rugose june bugs (Phyllophaga rugosa) are characterized by it’s rough, textured exoskeleton that is dark brown or black.
It is a species of June bug that is considered an agricultural pest due to the type of plants and crops it infests. In large numbers, it can negatively impact plant life, and its diet consists of a variety of vegetation, including grasses, trees, shrubs, and crops.
7. Brown Scarab Beetle
Found in the eastern regions of the United States, these june bugs (Phyllophaga lanceolata) are typically brown or black in color and have a distinctive leaf-shaped lance on their pronotum, which is the hard casing covering the beetles thorax.
These june bugs can measure up to one and a half inches long.
Their preferred diet consists of oaks and maples, but they will cause damage to crops and grassed areas while in their larvae stage. They’re diurnal so you’ll see them in the morning and evening.
8. June Beetle
Phyllophaga congrua is brown or reddish-brown and have a slightly elongated oval-shaped body.
It’s attracted to decaying matter in gardens and on farms; this beetle is useful, as it can break down such debris further. However, the larvae can cause damage to lawns, gardens, and commercial crops if the population becomes too large.
9. Mexican May Beetle
The name of this species (Phyllophaga opaca) depicts where it’s most concentrated. It also lives in warmer areas of North and Central America.
It has a brown shell and emerges at dusk to fly around and mate. Its diet consists of shrubs, ornamentals, and flowers, and the larvae prefer the roots of the grass.
Although they can be troublesome for gardeners and homeowners alike, they can be effective pollinators and contribute to breaking down garden debris.
Signs and Symptoms
As this bug is hidden underground until it matures and is mainly active at night once it’s an adult, it can be difficult to determine that you have a June bug infestation.
In small numbers, they have a relatively low impact. Left unchecked, they quickly cause garden, orchard, and vegetation issues.
As grubs, they munch through plants’ rootstocks and leave grass looking patchy. If you can peel back the top layer of grass, then there are no roots, and the white grub may be the culprit.
Yellowing of foliage, significant wilting, damaged fruit, or stripped leaves can indicate that adult June bugs are about.
Because the symptoms resemble so many other issues, sometimes the only way to be sure is to set sticky traps and catch a few to identify them.
Prevention and Bug Control
Before you decide to get rid of them, consider that these beetles aren’t all bad. June bugs can be a useful tool in terms of keeping the equilibrium going in the garden. They are a vital source of protein for all kinds of animals and insects. Humans eat them, too!
Many species aren’t known to cause significant damage to crops and are a vital part of the local ecosystem. They can break down organic matter as well as act as a source of food for bird life and other such predators.
During years where the conditions are favorable for this insect, infestations may occur and can tilt the balance into making them a pest. They can cause plant destruction, crop loss, and a suffering lawn.
There are practices that may assist in keeping their numbers under control without resorting to heavy-duty insecticides.
1. Clean Up
Remove potential breeding grounds, such as weeds and garden debris. You should also take care not to overwater, because they like to breed in moist soil. Make sure to clean up leaves, grass clippings, and dead plants in your yard.
Similarly, keep lawns well maintained and avoid over-watering to prevent creating a hospitable environment for them. You might even want to remove some of your lawn to reduce their breeding area.
Lawns are a monoculture that has a detrimental effect on the environment. They require a ton of chemicals to maintain and do not provide food or safe areas for beneficial, native insects. Limit them or consider adding something beneficial like clover.
2. Rotate Your Crops and Till Soil
A healthy garden always consists of rotating crops. Nothing good happens when you plant the same thing in the same place year after year. Rotating crops means that the same species aren’t always in the same place, so they don’t attract the same pests year after year.
Breaking up the dirt in the spring can also expose the eggs and larvae to hungry birds.
3. Protect
Utilizing physical barriers is one way to deter the June bug residing on your most prized plants. Barriers such as row covers or netting to prevent them from reaching your plants. Row covers will also deter things like Japanese beetles and many flies or moths.
Grab some row covers for your garden at Amazon.
4. Companion Planting
Planting natural repelling species of flowers such as marigolds, tansy, and chrysanthemums is a great way to add beauty to the garden while actively deterring the June bugs.
5. Attract Predators
Encouraging natural predators of June bugs, such as birds, toads, and parasitic wasps, can help keep their population in check.
Attract these predators to your land by providing shelter, food, and water sources. Lots of native plant species and plenty of places to hide is a surefire way to increase your helpful predator populations.
6. Monitor and Take Action
Regularly inspect your plants for signs of a June bug infestation. Check the soil for white grub larvae and any stripped leaves.
Heading outside at dusk or dark with a light may give you an early warning sign, as the adults are attracted to light. They fly a little oddly and often make a clicking sound during flight, so you’ll know it’s them.
7. Treatment
If prevention methods are not effective, there are insecticides that will target June bugs. Chemicals should only be used as a last resort because they can harm helpful insect populations and pollute waterways.
There are products targeted at the grubs in lawn, like Scott’s Grub-EX.
You can use swatters to kill them in the home or as they buzz around you while hanging out in the yard. You can find these at home supply stores and places like Amazon.
