Southern Masked Chafer

It's often impossible to identify the insect culprit responsible for causing holes or jagged margins on tree leaves if the perpetrator has left the scene. Unless there is a clear association between the tree species and a pest, we rely on dubious "it could be" speculation to solve a bit-and-run.

Northern Masked Chafers and Japanese Beetles are on the wing in southern Ohio. These scarabs (family Scarabaeidae) are two of the three most common "white grub producing" beetles found beneath turfgrass in Ohio. The third potential participant in the grub-party are Southern Masked Chafers which have not yet appeared on the scene.

Northern Masked Chafer (Cyclocephala borealis) and Southern Masked Chafer (C. lurida) adults are appearing around porchlights at night in southern Ohio.  It is common for people to assume that white grubs found beneath turfgrass in Ohio are Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) grubs.  This is no longer a safe bet.  Japanese beetles have largely been replaced by these two chafers as the dominant "white grub producing" beetles in many areas of Ohio including the southern part of the state.  Indeed, I asked an experienced lawn care company last season to collect...