Mike Hedlund, age 9, of Marion, Ohio, for his question:

DOES THE JUNE BUG CAUSE DAMAGE?

The June bug is the name given to several large beetles seen in many parts of the United States during May and June. June bugs are considered to be pests because they eat the young leaves of trees and shrubs, often stripping them bare.

June bugs deposit their eggs underground in meadows, gardens and fields. The young larvae are large white grubs with brown heads. They burrow into the soil in the autumn and stay there two years or more. While the grubs are underground, they do more damage, feeding on roots of corn, grain, grasses and vegetables.

The grubs emerge in May or June as adult beetles.

June bugs are related to the scarab beetles that were considered sacred in ancient Egypt. The bugs are usually seen at night during the early summer when light attracts them.