Skip to main content

Tenlined June Beetle – Polyphylla decimineata

Tenlined June beetle (Polyphylla decimineata) Common Name: Tenlined June beetle/ watermelon Beetle Latin Name: Polyphylla decimineata
  • The eggs are 4mm long and oval, with a dull, milky white appearance. A female lays around 70 eggs in the soil. It will hatch in 3-4 weeks.
  • Larvae are white grubs that live in the dirt. They are more tightly coiled and stiffer-bodied than other big root-eating white grubs, particularly the several Phyllophaga species (May/June beetles). They can grow to be the size of a 50-cent piece when fully mature.
  • Adults are 20-35 mm long, with large antennal plates and a larger antennae club in males than females. Brown hairs on the thorax’s underside. Each elytron (hard outer wing) has wide white bars that run the length of the body.
Territory: Tenlined June Beetle is a scarab beetle found in western North America and Canada. Host plant: They have a wide host range and have been observed chewing on grasses, perennials, trees, and shrubs. Their propensity to bite affects many fruit trees and other plants. Damages caused by Tenlined June beetle: The larvae attack the roots of trees and other plants, which can kill them or weaken them owing to root damage. Weakened trees may readily lift themselves out of the ground due to a lack of roots. The adults feed on plant leaves but do not cause significant defoliation or harm to the plants. Life history and habits: Adults’ biggest “June bug” typically flies from late June to early August. Males with huge antennae are intensely drawn to lights, but females with significantly smaller antennae rarely visit lights. Adults of both sexes graze on the leaf of many trees and shrubs, but feeding injuries are infrequent. The eggs of the tenlined June beetle are placed in soil, and the larvae feed on plant roots. Females lay between 60 and 70 eggs in the soil. The eggs hatch in around three to four weeks. Young larvae eat rotting plant debris or fine roots. They need 3 to 4 years to grow completely. In cold-weather settings, larvae may migrate deeper into the soil to avoid frost and then return to the surface to feed in the spring.