During the summer, June bugs are a common occurrence. They arrive in June in swarms, as their name implies. How long do June bugs live, though?
June bugs have a lifespan of 2-4 years. The majority of the June bugs’ life is spent underground as a grub. June bugs can be found as grubs for one to three years. June bugs only have a brief lifespan of less than a year once they become adults. A June bug’s lifespan will be influenced by their surroundings and ability to find food.
Having June bugs in your yard might be a pain. They not only flutter around annoyingly, but they also draw large problem animals to your yard.
You can better understand how long June bugs live and the factors that determine this.
You can learn everything you need to know about the June bug’s life cycle from this tutorial.
Let’s begin.
How long do June bugs live?
Contrary to popular belief, June bugs do not have a short lifespan.
They are just taking into account the time that June bugs spend as adults, which is the cause of this misconception. In the warm months, that’s when you can see the pesky bugs flying everywhere.
The June bug goes through three stages of development before becoming an adult. Furthermore, as we’ve already mentioned, the June bugs spend a lot longer time in these three stages of development than they do as adults.
Since June bugs spend the most of their lives underground, you typically are unaware of their presence. Before becoming adults, certain June bugs can spend up to 3 years in the soil.
The variety of circumstances the June bug encounters will determine how long it lives. This covers the accessibility of food, predators, and human intervention.
The nearly 900 different species of June bugs (Phyllophaga) have slightly varied living conditions.
June bug life cycle stages
The June bug can face many difficulties at various stages of its life cycle. Let’s examine each phase of the life cycle of the June insect.
Eggs
At a time, female June bugs can lay clutches of between 50 and 200 eggs. In the soil of grassy places, such as lawns, they lay their eggs. In the dirt, the eggs are buried between two and five inches deep. Laying eggs in the earth protects the eggs safe from predators and well-hidden.
The June bugs deposit their eggs during the summer, and they will hatch 2-4 weeks later. When eggs are laid at this time of year, they will have enough of food accessible to them when they hatch.
Larvae
When the eggs hatch, they become larvae, sometimes known as grubs. They will eventually reach a length of 1-2 inches and are velvety.
Larvae of the June bug are ravenous eaters and will consume as much food as they can. The larvae consume the majority of the organic material in their route and mostly feed on plant roots.
Depending on the season, the grubs will crawl closer to the soil’s surface. They have enough of fresh plant material to eat during the summer. They delve deeper into the dirt as winter approaches.
The subspecies will determine how long June bugs remain in the larval stage. Depending on the species, some larvae can spend up to three years underground.
The adult June bugs don’t come back to look after their young. This implies that they are left on their own from the time they hatch. So, they will rely on their innate instincts to obtain food and defend themselves against predators.
Pupae
The grubs will begin the pupa stage of their life cycle once they are big enough. The transformation into adult June bugs happens in this manner.
The June bug goes through a number of physical changes at this stage while remaining underground. The June insect will build a structure like a cocoon and remain in place during this time. Due to their immobility, the pupae are now more susceptible to parasite predators.
It takes about 3 weeks to complete this stage of the June bug life cycle.
Adults
The adult June bugs will erupt after the pupae have developed. However, they spend the winter months underground.
The fully developed adult June bugs emerge in May to June after the winter. They are looking for other June bugs to mate with so they can lay eggs in the ground.
The June bugs are quite vulnerable as they emerge because they are unsure of the perils that await them outside the soil.
Depending on the species, the duration a June insect spends above the soil might range from two to six months. There is simply a one-year adult period.
How do June bugs die?
The June bug’s capacity to survive will be impacted by a few factors in its surroundings. Let’s examine typical June bug causes of demise.
1. Food availability
To survive, June bugs require a lot of food. During the larval stage, they are dependent on a steady supply of food to thrive.
The primary components of the June bugs’ food are plants and foliage because they are herbivores. The larvae will consume the roots of the plant as well as soil-based organic matter.
Relying on vegetation has the drawback that it is only abundantly available during the warmer months of the year. As a result, the June bugs only have a limited amount of time to eat a lot.
The June bugs will hibernate throughout the colder months in order to live.
Some June bugs may need a long time to gather enough food to become large enough to develop into adults. For up to 4 years, they remain grubs for some species.
The June bugs will experience stress if there isn’t a steady supply of food. This could stunt their development or possibly kill them. The quantity of adult June bugs that emerge to mate is influenced by food shortages.
2. Predators
Many creatures higher on the food chain depend on June bugs as a major food source. One of the main dangers to June bug survival is predators.
Typical predators of June bugs include:
- Skunks
- Raccoons
- Birds
- Spiders
- Snakes
- venomous wasps
- Frogs
- Moles
When June bugs are underground, they are most susceptible to predators. They are not completely safe from predators, despite some protection offered by the soil.
Skunks and raccoons, two predators, will delve into the ground in search of large, juicy grubs to eat. The grubs have no chance since they move too slowly and lack the ability to fly yet. The phases of the egg and pupa are absolutely motionless.
At least adult June bugs have the benefit of being able to fly away from danger. The issue is that adult June bugs have very poor flying abilities. They seem to stumble around entirely uncoordinated as a result of this.
However, they can benefit from this behavior if they continue it. They become unpredictable, which may protect them by confusing potential predators.
3. Parasites
The lifespan of a June bug is significantly influenced by its general health. There are no contagious diseases that June bugs can transmit to people or other bugs. However, parasites significantly affect their health.
The following parasites commonly attack June Bugs:
- Pyrgotidae
- fly bee
- Pelecinidae
- Scoliidae
- Tiphiidae
- Nematodes
By laying their eggs inside the grubs, these insects will frequently infect the June bug grubs. The June bugs will then act as a host or food source to incubate the eggs, and once they hatch, they will probably serve as a food source once more.
4. Injury
June bugs are highly vulnerable to serious harm because they are insects. An injured June bug is usually unable to escape or find protection, so it will probably be devoured right away.
Injuries to June bugs are frequently brought on by humans. June bugs frequently die when pesticides are used. The June bugs will become poisoned and perish if they consume any insecticide-related compounds.
Insecticides are frequently used by gardeners on their plants to deter other, more harmful bugs. However, they will also employ organic insecticides like biological nematodes to combat the soil-dwelling grubs of the June bug.
You can read my article on how to avoid June bugs by employing these techniques.
Devices used to catch or eliminate any bugs frequently result in other common injuries. June bugs frequently become trapped by sticky tapes and glue, where they slowly perish.
June bugs frequently perish from zapper lights (like these). That’s because June bugs are drawn to bright lights and frequently perish from exposure to light. This explains why June bugs frequently lie dead near a source of light.
June bugs’ careless flying makes it easy for them to injure themselves. They won’t be able to fly or escape danger if they lose a wing.
5. Old age
Adult June bugs exist only to reproduce and then disappear. Once they succeed in doing this, they will inevitably disappear once they have laid their eggs.
This is a typical stage in the life cycle of June bugs and should be anticipated every year. They have deposited eggs, which will replace the vast majority of them that will perish. This indicates that the species will endure.
Typically, a June bug’s nervous system will start to deteriorate near the conclusion of its life cycle. When this is excessively damaged, the June bug will stop working and die.
Do June bugs have a purpose?
It may seem futile for them to just reside underground, reproduce, and repeat the cycle after reading about the June bug’s life cycle. They cause a lot of trouble for gardeners, and farmers’ enormous crops might be destroyed by their grubs.
As a result, it may be challenging to understand how they are useful.
Indeed, June bugs are essential to their habitat. They not only offer a plentiful food source for numerous animals, but they also add a lot of organic nutrients to the soil.
Different animals, birds, and other large insects would suffer from severe protein deficiencies if there weren’t an abundant supply of June bugs to go around. To stay healthy, these animals must consume June bugs as a vital component of their diet.
How long do June bugs live indoors?
Adult June bugs are nocturnal insects that do not perform well inside or in a setting with people.
The majority of June bugs will, in fact, most likely pass away within a few days of residing in a human home. The major cause is excessive light exposure. June bugs are reported to be swiftly killed by this.
The June bug won’t last very long if it can’t locate a dark, quiet location to live.
However, homes aren’t the best places for June bugs to live. They seek a location with lots of new, green plants, other June bugs with whom they can reproduce, and soil on which to lay their eggs. You can find all of this outside.
Final thoughts
Depending on the species, the average lifespan of June bugs is between two and four years. As grubs, they live most of their lives underground. The flying adult insects we observe in the summer only live for one year.
A June bug’s lifespan will be influenced by aspects of everyday life including food availability and predators. Because they are frequently killed for being a bother, humans also have a significant impact on their survival.
Despite the threats they confront, June bugs will continue to reproduce in such vast numbers that they guarantee the survival of their species.
FAQ
Are June bugs harmful?
Although the June bug is not known to be dangerous to people, it can still cause issues and be a pain for company owners. As it flies by flashing lights, the beetle makes a lot of noise, and, to some, it even seems a little frightening.
Are June bugs good for anything?
Despite the fact that many people find June bugs to be disturbing, they are crucial to the ecosystem’s ability to cycle nutrients. June bugs concentrate nutrients into juicy (larva) and crunchy (adult) calorie-rich packets that are devoured by a range of other creatures by chowing down on grass roots.
Where are June bugs native to?
Native to North America, Europe, and Asia, June bugs are known by a variety of names. There are various common June bug varieties; in the United States, the Common June bug, Tenlined beetle, and Green fruit beetle are the most prevalent species.
Do June bugs have a purpose?
Despite the fact that many people find June bugs to be disturbing, they are crucial to the ecosystem’s ability to cycle nutrients. June bugs concentrate nutrients into juicy (larva) and crunchy (adult) calorie-rich packets that are devoured by a range of other creatures by chowing down on grass roots.
Are June bugs invasive?
These pesky little creatures are an invasive species that destroy ornamental trees and gardens by basically consuming all of the blooms, fruit, and leaves.