34 
NATURE STUDY NOTES 
CYCLE—Female beetle lays small, white, globu¬ 
lar eggs on the ground in grass land. Ten days 
later young grubs emerge and commence to eat 
the grass roots, soon producing brown patches of 
dead grass on lawn or in paddock. During winter 
most of the grubs have ceased feeding and are 
living from 9 to 15 inches below the surface of the 
Grass Grub (Odontria Zealandica). 
1. Larva, side view. 2. The same from below. 3. The same 
from above. 4. Adult beetle. All natural size. From nature. 
ground, recommencing their depredations early in 
August. The grub is creamy white with brownish 
head, and when not feeding lies doubled up in the 
shape of the letter U. The pupa stage commences 
early in October, the pupa case being at first creamy 
white, but soon changing to brownish pink. The 
beetles commence to emerge from pupae in the 
same month, and live for three or four weeks. 
Starlings clear the farms of tens of thousands of 
the grubs during summer and autumn seasons. 
(See p. 52.) The grass grub is sometimes confused 
with the larva of the Tiger Beetle, called by children 
“Butcher Boy” or “Penny Doctor.” This has the 
typical six legs like the grass grub, but lives in a 
burrow and has a horn-shaped projection on its 
back. 
