Project:

Identification and classification of genus Phyllophaga species on Long Island

Students:

Gregorio Criollo, Rigoberto Alvarado Mejia, Gerard Alexander Elizalde Gonzalez

School:

Westbury High School, Nassau

Mentors:

Marie Bettina Fantal-Pinckombe

Abstract:

The common June Beetle or genus Phyllophaga is a brown-reddish bug that makes up one of the largest and most diverse groups of scarab beetles in North America, including nearly 300 species found in the New World, being part of the subfamily Melolonthinae.[1] The genus Phyllophaga can range from reddish brown to nearly black with elytra that cover their backs and protect their hind wings, which allow them to fly around, and internal body.[2] More famously known as June or May Bugs, their names are due to how they begin to appear much more often during the two months as they reach their peak adolescence and emerge from the soil as adults, distributing throughout their surrounding area to feed on foliage and flowers. Most Phyllophaga are medium-sized, ranging from 12 to 25 mm, with very similar yet different shapes and colors which has led its identification to be very difficult as they can be categorized to be different species despite seeming to be the exact same bug.[1] This means that

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