Monday, February 4, 2013

Another White Grub

This is only the second White Grub (family Scarabaeidae) I've found in our yard, and both have been in the front yard. Unfortunately I still can't identify the genus and species of the scarab beetle this guy will turn into, though I believe he belongs to Cyclocephala (Masked Chafers) because of my observation of the raster:
http://lanwebs.lander.edu/faculty/rsfox/invertebrates/cyclocephala.html
I couldn't see a line in the setae, which would identify him as Phyllophaga (a May/June Beetle) but I wasn't able to look that closely:

As you can see in the photos, the grub wasn't too happy about being examined. You would be too if a giant plucked you out of your cozy hole in the ground!


As always, Richard Fox of Lander University provides some of the best anatomical diagrams:


You can read more about the anatomy of a white grub as you read through Fox's dissection exercise. 

2 comments:

  1. Lol just so you know that is a witchetty grub and it is the traditional food of indigenous people

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  2. Not a witches grub. It is a curl grub. Both can be eaten and not bad tasting.

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