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Common Name: Japanese beetle
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Photo Credit: John Obermeyer, Purdue University
Pest Status: Japanese beetles are serious pests of turfgrass when
they are grubs and also serious pests of many plants (trees, shrubs,
flowers, fruits, and agronomic crops) when they become adults.
Appearance: The Japanese beetle is about ½-inch long with shiny
copper-colored wing covers and a shiny green top of the thorax
and head. The abdomen has a row of white hair tufts of hair on
each side.
Life Cycle: The larvae overwinter in cells beneath the soil surface.
In the spring, the larvae move upward to complete feeding and to
pupate. Adults emerge from the ground in mid-summer and the
females deposit their eggs in the soil. The eggs hatch about two
weeks after deposition, normally between July and August.
Where to Collect: The adults are general herbivores and can be
found on all types of plants.
Common Name: June beetle
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabidae
Photo Credit: John Obermeyer, Purdue University
Pest Status: June beetles (often called May beetles) feed on tree
leaves as adults and grass roots as grubs. In most situations the
damage is only minimal.
Appearance: June beetles range from ¼ to 1 inch in length. The
adults have red-brown or black bodies and have an oval shape.
Life Cycle: May or June beetles usually have a two-year life cycle.
Females tunnel into the soil to deposit their eggs. In three to four
weeks, the larvae hatch from the eggs and develop through three
instars. In spring and early summer, the larvae pupate deep in the
soil. Adults emerge in about three weeks.
Where to Collect: Adults are nocturnal and are highly attracted to
lights in spring and early summer. Most species prefer open woods,
meadows, lawns, grasslands, cultivated fields, and ornamental
plant beds.
Common Name: Katydid
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Tettigonidae
Pest Status: Katydids are very minor pests that feed on leaves and
make a loud, irritating noise during the evening hours.
Appearance: Adults range in size from 1¼ to 5 inches long. Most
katydids are green with leaf-shaped wings that are held roof-like
over their bodies. They have the general shape of grasshoppers
with antennae usually longer than their bodies and large hind legs.
Life Cycle: Females lay gray, oval, flat eggs in leaves where they
feed. Nymphs appear in late spring and require two to three months
to mature. There is one generation per year.
Where to Collect: Katydids are found in trees and on other plants
in grassland areas and forests. They are particularly attracted to
light sources.
Photo Credit: John Obermeyer, Purdue University