What are these giant larvae I found in a box elder tree? - Ask Extension
I was clearing box elder trees and found hollow cavities in limbs that were filled with rotted wood pulp that was probably from the millions of ants, ...
Knowledgebase
What are these giant larvae I found in a box elder tree? #260162
Asked July 08, 2015, 9:59 AM EDT
I was clearing box elder trees and found hollow cavities in limbs that were filled with rotted wood pulp that was probably from the millions of ants, but I also found four beetle larva that were 3 to 4 inches long and 3/8" diam. and I can't identify them yet. The trees showed no outside damage and I'd say most of the 20+ box elder trees I've dropped have large hollow cavities, but only one had these giant larvae. I've had several black cherry trees with similar damage, but I've only seen ants in them, several different varieties of ants. .
Washington County Minnesota
Expert Response
Box elder trees are short lived and have very brittle wood so damage is common. The ants are there because they have found a place to live, the beetle larva we cannt hazard a guess without pictures.
Hi Dennis, Thanks for responding. That's precisely why I'm culling the invasive Box Elders. There can't be that many large beetle larva which can survive MN weather. If you give me a cell # or email address I can send a direct image today. Thanks, Mark.
Upon hatching from the eggs, June bugs enter their initial larval
instar. At this stage the bugs are simply brown-headed white grubs. They
undergo three instars and molt twice before pupating. The larval stage
is the most destructive stage of the insects. The grubs have excessively
high appetites and feed constantly. Larval June bugs feed in warm
summers and under the soil during winter. During their last larval
instar the June bugs dig deep into the soil to shield themselves from
freezing winter temperatures. It's during this period when the larvae
pupate. While some species develop into pupa within one season, others
feed for a number of summers before developing into pupa.
These are about four or five June bugs' long already, I've never seen a June bug get much beyond and inch.
It looks like Rose Chafer, but I got them out of bucket and it's more like 2-1/2"-3" and I put it on a ruler and it's easily 5cm. On the FB Entimology page most guesses were for Stag Beetle. I couldn't find anything while Googling MN beetle.
