A, F-532842: B, F-494654 
Figure 115.—Phyllophaga spp. A, adult; B, white grubs. 
or more. In the South, the life cycle is completed in 1, 2, or 3 years: in the Central 
States, 2 to 3 years are required; farther north, from 3 to 4 years are needed (//4/). 
Phyllophaga larvae, or white grubs, have caused heavy losses in forest nurseries 
and plantations in the South, the East, and Central and Lake States. Also, here and 
there throughout the region, many trees are lightly to heavily defoliated by the adult 
beetles every year, especially in woodlots and around the edges of forest stands. A 
few of the more common and important species are discussed briefly below. 
Phyllophaga drakei (Kirby) occurs throughout most of the Eastern United States 
and southern Canada. Adults are dark brown, shiny, and about 25 mm long. They 
feed on the leaves of beech, birch, dogwood, maple, basswood, elm, and willow. 
The larvae are important pests in forest nurseries and plantations in the Lake States 
and Canada. 
Phyllophaga luctuosa (Horn) occurs primarily along the Atlantic and Gulf 
Coasts in sandy, oak-pine regions, but also farther north and inland to Tennessee, 
Oklahoma, and Iowa. Adults are dark brown to black, moderately shiny, and about 
21 mm long. They feed on persimmon, mulberry, tupelo, walnut, willow, beech, 
birch, and loblolly and longleaf pines. The larvae are often destructive in nurseries 
and, probably, plantations. 
Phyllophaga tristis (F.) occurs throughout the Eastern United States and in 
southern Canada. Adults are light or dark yellowish-brown or slightly reddish, and 
about 12 mm long. They seem to prefer the foliage of oaks but also feed on maple, 
persimmon, hickory, elm, and willow. The larvae have caused serious losses in 
nurseries in the Lake States. 
Phyllophaga prununculina (Burmeister) occurs in the South Atlantic and Gulf 
Coast States. It is especially common in the Sand Hills of South Carolina. Adults 
are reddish brown to black, with the surface either shining and slightly pruinose, or 
dull smoky, and are 12 to 18 mm long. They feed on pines, especially loblolly and 
longleaf. and sometimes oaks and persimmon. The larvae have caused serious 
losses in pine nurseries and plantations in South Carolina. 
Phyllophaga rugosa (Melsheimer) occurs mostly in the Northern States and 
southern Canada. Adults are reddish brown to black, shiny, and from 18 to 25 mm 
long. They feed on a wide variety of hardwoods. The larvae are often destructive in 
coniferous nurseries in the Lake States. 
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