Glenn Cooper, age 12, of Danville, Ill., for his question:

DOES THE JUNE BUG CAUSE DAMAGE?

The June bug is a name given to several large brown beetles that are seen in many parts of the United States during May and June. June bugs are considered to be pests since they eat the young leaves of trees and shrubs. Often they strip trees and shrubs bare.

A June bug will deposit its eggs in the ground in meadows, gardens and fields. The young larvae are large white grubs with brown heads. They burrow into the soil in autumn and stay there two years or more.

While the grubs are under ground, they are doing more damage: they feed on roots of corn, grain, grasses and vegetables.

The grubs then come out in May or June as adult beetles.

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