403 



MAY BEETLE— WHITE GRUB. 



Lachnostenia fiisca, Frohl. May Beetle— White grub. 



Order Coleoptera. Family Scarabceidce. 

 Without doubt the White Grub, which is the larva of the 

 common May beetle, though probably other species of this same 

 and allied genera are much like this one in appearance and hab- 

 its, is one of the very worst enemies of the grasses, as by eating 

 oif the roots whole meadows, pasture fields, and- lawns are en- 

 tirely ruined. Often the roots of the grass are so entirely con- 

 sumed that all may be raked off, leaving the entire fiold as clean 

 as a well tilled summer fallow. 



The figure (147) 

 shows the insects in 

 the several stages so 

 well that little else is 

 needed. The eggs are 

 laid in the grass fields. 

 The white, usually 

 curved and wrinkled 

 grubs with brown 

 heads, feed for three 

 years. The pupa is 



found in earthen 

 Fig. 147. 



cells, and is not different from other eopterous pup*. 



In May and June the beetles come forth from the earth, and 

 the females lay their eggs each to the number of from forty to 

 sixty. It is probable that these eggs are always laid either in 

 grass plats or where other vegetation is rank and plentiful. The 

 beetles are nocturnal, and as is well known are attracted by 

 lights, and so often become very annoying as they enter our 

 rooms and houses. Sometimes the beetles so swarm 'in trees as 

 to remind one of a swarm of bees. Indeed they often do no lit- 

 tle mischief in eating the foliage of oaks and other trees during 

 these summer love feasts. The i:rubs eat for three seasons. 



