What are these grubs and beetles and will they harm my garden?
May 1, 2011 5:08 PM Subscribe
What are these grubs (and possibly related beetle) that I found in our vegetable garden today?
I found these just under the soil surface in Washington, DC in a garden used to grow vegetables for the past few years, mostly tomatoes.
I've seen the grubs before (in autumn I think), but today noticed that one section of the garden had large numbers of grubs and this was the first time I'd seen a few of these beetles nearby.
The beetles (I have two more pictures that I don't think would help, but just in case: 1 and 2) would "play dead" when disturbed and eventually try and burrow away (when not cruelly contained in a green plastic bowl).
The largest grubs are about an inch long.
I thought the grubs might be Japanese beetle grubs, though it seems the beetle here is not. Maybe it's just a coincidence that the beetles were nearby. I've already sent pictures to whatsthatbug.com.
I found these just under the soil surface in Washington, DC in a garden used to grow vegetables for the past few years, mostly tomatoes.
I've seen the grubs before (in autumn I think), but today noticed that one section of the garden had large numbers of grubs and this was the first time I'd seen a few of these beetles nearby.
The beetles (I have two more pictures that I don't think would help, but just in case: 1 and 2) would "play dead" when disturbed and eventually try and burrow away (when not cruelly contained in a green plastic bowl).
The largest grubs are about an inch long.
I thought the grubs might be Japanese beetle grubs, though it seems the beetle here is not. Maybe it's just a coincidence that the beetles were nearby. I've already sent pictures to whatsthatbug.com.
I was gonna suggest that they do look like Japanese beetle grubs. Not sure about the other beetle.
posted by Lou Stuells at 5:17 PM on May 1, 2011
posted by Lou Stuells at 5:17 PM on May 1, 2011
Best answer: The beetle is a Carabidae (most likely), scarab beetle larvae.
posted by bolognius maximus at 6:28 PM on May 1, 2011
posted by bolognius maximus at 6:28 PM on May 1, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks folks. Whatsthatbug.com wrote back indicating that the grubs are scarab grubs, most likely June Beetles [I think these are the same as May beetles as indicated by Nomyte above] and that the beetle is a predator, likely Scarites subterraneus.
posted by exogenous at 7:27 PM on May 1, 2011
posted by exogenous at 7:27 PM on May 1, 2011
By the way, smush them with extreme prejudice. They can crawl quite a long distance out in the open air.
posted by desuetude at 9:22 PM on May 2, 2011
posted by desuetude at 9:22 PM on May 2, 2011
Response by poster: I left the grubs out in the bowl hoping the birds would eat them in lieu of my blueberries, but most of them were still there (and lifeless) when I checked back the next day.
posted by exogenous at 7:43 AM on May 3, 2011
posted by exogenous at 7:43 AM on May 3, 2011
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posted by Nomyte at 5:16 PM on May 1, 2011