Japanese Beetle Grub Looks Like?

The photo on the left displays what a typical Japanese beetle grub looks like. They are colored white and have a long cylindrical shape. They look sort of like a cocoon.

The size of a Japanese beetle grub will vary greatly depending upon how long it has been growing. Grubs are also called larva, and that stage of the Japanese beetle life cycle lasts approximately 9 months in full.

During that time, the grub grows from the size of a tiny egg up to about 1 inch in length at its largest point. After that, it emerges from its encasing to begin its life as an adult.

Japanese beetle eggs are buried underneath the ground about 1 to 3 inches by the mother beetle. When the eggs hatch, they are then called grubs.

Underground, the grubs are in a perfect location to feed on the roots of the grasses and plants above ground. They also eat other organic material mixed in with the soil.

After their approximately nine-month growing period underground, the grubs are ready to emerge as adults when the temperature heats up during the early summer.

Usually, one will not see Japanese beetle grubs in the wild because they are hidden away underground. But if you see adult Japanese beetles above ground, you can rest assured that there are many more eggs and grubs buried beneath the surface, ready to become next year’s army of Japanese beetles.