May Beetles

Phyllophaga

May beetles are big, brown insects that come out in the spring. They love to fly around at night and can sometimes be seen buzzing around lights.

Lebensraum: Grasslands

Aussehen

The May Beetle has a stocky, oval-shaped body, typically reddish-brown or dark brown, often with a slightly iridescent sheen. Its back is covered by tough, grooved wing covers (elytra) that protect its delicate flight wings underneath. It is visually different from many other beetles by its relatively large size and characteristic robust, hairy appearance.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungColeopteraFamilieScarabaeidaeGattungPhyllophaga

May Beetles

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Adult May beetles are clumsy fliers, often bumping into porch lights at night.

Female May beetles lay hundreds of tiny eggs deep in the soil. Wow!

Some years, they emerge in such huge numbers they can strip trees bare.

Their underground larvae, called white grubs, can take years to grow!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

May Beetles can live underground for years because their larvae (grubs) have strong jaws to munch on roots, staying safe from predators.

May Beetles can find their way in the dark because they use sensitive antennae to detect scents and find mates at night.

May Beetles can munch through leaves quickly because they have strong mandibles that help them feed on plants after dark.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite: 25-50 mm
Größe: 12-25 mm
Lebenserwartung: 365-1095 Tage
Fluggeschwindigkeit: 8 km/h
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

Adults munch on leaves and flowers, while larvae feast on plant roots underground.

Altersunterschiede: Larvae eat roots underground; adults feed on leaves and flowers.

Hauptnahrung

Tree leaves
Shrub leaves
Grass roots
Plant roots

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

White Oak

Quercus alba

Provides leaves for adult beetles to eat.

eats

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

Feeds on May Beetle larvae found in soil.

parasitizes

Spring Tiphia Wasp

Tiphia vernalis

Lays eggs on May Beetle larvae underground.

eats

Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Digs up and eats May Beetle larvae from lawns.

Merkmale

Pelzig

Pelzig beschreibt Tiere, die eine dichte Schicht aus weichen Haaren oder Fell besitzen.

Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger leben den größten Teil ihres Lebens allein und interagieren mit Artgenossen nur zur Paarung oder zur Aufzucht der Jungen.

Bestäubermagnet

Beschreibt Pflanzen, die für eine Vielzahl von bestäubenden Organismen besonders attraktiv und nützlich sind.

Grasland

Grasland-Lebensräume sind terrestrische Biome, die von Gräsern und krautigen Pflanzen dominiert werden und einer Vielzahl von Weidetieren als Lebensraum dienen.