Southern Masked Chafer
Cyclocephala lurida
Adult Southern Masked Chafers are unique among scarabs because they do not feed, living entirely off energy reserves stored during their larval stage.
- Scientific name
- Cyclocephala lurida
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Scarabaeidae › Cyclocephala
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Grasslands, prairies, pastures, and suburban lawns with moist, organic-rich soil.
- Diet
- Adults typically do not feed; larvae (white grubs) consume decaying organic matter and the roots of various grasses.
- Range
- North America, Central America
- Size
- 10-15 mm in length
- Lifespan
- 1 year
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Widespread use of turf insecticides, habitat fragmentation, and excessive light pollution during mating seasons.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These beetles are attracted to artificial lights at night and may clumsily land on people or windows. They do not bite, sting, or produce toxins. Simply brush them off gently or turn off outdoor lights to discourage their presence.
Cyclocephala lurida , the southern masked chafer , is a species of beetle in the family Scarabaeidae which is native to the southeastern United States. It is a brown beetle with a black head, with an adult length of 10 to 14 mm (0.4 to 0.6 in). The adult beetles cause no harm, but the eggs are laid underground and the developing larvae feed on grass roots and can kill turf under dry conditions.
Photo: Kansas Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/4807173e-248a-4adc-b912-ab5a5b40335f.md