The most important groups are the masked chafers Cyclocephala spp. Ataenius Phyllophaga Cyclocephala Figure 2. The annual white grub completes its life cycle in one year. Adults are normally present from late June to July. They are attracted to lights and are frequently observed around windows or porch lights.
Adults deposit eggs in the top inch or two of soil, often in small clusters.
Small grubs hatch from the eggs and begin feeding on grass roots. Most damage occurs in late summer and early fall after the grubs have reached the second larval stage. With the onset of cold weather, grubs move deeper in the soil to overwinter. As the soil temperatures warm in the spring they move up to the grass roots, feed for a short time, pupate, and emerge as adults to begin a new cycle. Feeding in the spring is not as destructive as it is in the fall and only rarely requires an insecticidal treatment.