Pecan Insects - May Beetles May Beetles Phyllophaga spp. There are about 200 known species of May beetles, June beetles or daw bugs. May beetles sometimes defoliate pecan trees in the spring.
Small trees surrounded by uncultivated land are most susceptible to injury.
The beetles feed at night on young leaves and newly opened buds. In the daytime, they lie hidden just beneath the surface of the ground. The life cycle of this group of insects varies from one to four years, depending upon species. The three-year cycle is by far the most common. Most overwintering populations of May beetles consist of adults that have not yet taken their first flight from the soil and of larvae, usually of two distinct sizes.