General Information

Common name: White grub
Scientific name: Holotrichia spp., Leucopholis irrorata
Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae

Host plants

White grubs feed on the roots of corn, sorghum, sugarcane, cotton, soybean, strawberry, potato, rice, bean, and other cultivated crops.

Distribution

India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Philippines, Canada, USA

Damage

White grubs feed on the main roots of the plants. They cut the main stems and roots of plants below the surface of the soil. They tunnel into tubers of root vegetables and root crops. These feeding habits affect the underground portion of the stems and roots causing the plant to wilt and eventually die (Hammond, 1944).

Description

The white grubs are the larvae of Japanese and May/June beetles. They are white or yellowish in color, with tan or brown heads, and with 6 spiny legs. They have fleshy, wrinkled C-shaped bodies. Upon hatching they are quite small but can measure up to 2-4 cm when they mature (Chamberlin; Callenbach, 1943).