| Ten-lined June beetle | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Scarabaeidae |
| Subfamily: | Melolonthinae |
| Genus: | Polyphylla |
| Species: | P. decemlineata |
| Binomial name | |
| Polyphylla decemlineata (Say, 1823) |
|
The ten-lined June beetle, also known as the watermelon beetle, is a scarab beetle, living in the western United States and Canada. They are attracted to light and feed on the needles of coniferous trees. They can make a hissing sound when touched or otherwise disturbed, which can resemble the hissing of a bat. This sound is made by their wings pushing down, forcing the air out between their wings and back.
They are rather large in size (for an insect), some growing to sizes as large as an 1.25 inches (3 cm) or more. As in other members of this genus, the males have large distinctive antennae consisting of several lamellate plates, which they close up when threatened. The wing covers (elytra) have four long white stripes and one short stripe each. The underside of the thorax is covered with brownish hairs. Though they do not bite, they can become numerous enough to be considered pests.[1]