A Little Bit More
Many of us have seen June bugs or May Beetles in both adult and grub (larvae) stages but never put the two together as the same species. For insects that go through complete metamorphosis (4 distinct stages of development – egg, larva, pupa, adult) it can be quite difficult to make the connection between these non look-alike forms.
Depending on the part of the country where you live, these beetle grubs metamorphose into their adult stage in May or June. Initially they move to trees and shrubs to feed on leaves but soon begin flying about their area looking for a mate. Lights attract these large insects and that is why they often crash into windows and outdoor lights at this time of year.
Once the adults have mated, they lay their eggs in June or July. Their eggs are placed in the soil of fields, meadows, and lawns and hatch within 2 to 4 weeks into small, white grubs. The grubs begin feeding on the roots of the plants and grow quickly. Once cold weather arrives, they burrow deeper into the soil to await spring. When warm weather returns, the grubs migrate upward in the soil and eventually transform into their pupal form. Then on some warm May or June night, the adults emerge and crawl out to begin the cycle all over again.
Many homeowners have dug these grubs up and probably wondered what they were. Many animals find these fat grubs a great food source too with shrews, blackbirds, and crows eagerly eating these immature beetles.
Activities
Science – Names
Objectives: Have a better idea of the importance of common names
Materials: Reference material (library or internet)
All of our animals and plants have common names that help us know which ones we’re talking about. Animals and plants know no political boundaries and their common names may be quite different in one country, or even region of a country, from another. Of course scientists need accuracy when referring to an organism so they like to use the Latin genus and species names that are used worldwide to make it perfectly clear what they’re talking about. But even if common names aren’t always accurate, they do help us all and often tell a lot about the organism we’re labeling.
See if you and your students can come up with some names that tell a bit about the organism itself. Look for common names that include places (California Chipmunk), seasons (Spring Peeper), habitats (Mountain Goat), colors (Purple Finch), peoples’ names (Fowler’s Toad), or other easily noted anatomical features (Short-tailed Shrew). You should be able to come up with a long list of such organisms. See what you can find for the following categories:
• PLACES
• SEASONS
• HABITATS
• COLORS
• PEOPLES’ NAME
• ANATOMICAL FEATURES
Key Concepts
Life Cycles, Identification, Growth and Development
Questions
Do you have a question for a naturalist? Go ahead and ask!
It's easy -- just fill out this form, submit your question and you'll receive an answer shortly.