to shed leaves prematurely. Plants growing in rows are usually attacked in succession as the grubs move along from one plant to the next. Chafer grubs feed below ground for 3–4 years before changing into adult beetles. Predators Some Pyrgotidae flies pursue the beetles in flight to lay an egg on the beetle's back under the elytra where the beetle cannot reach it. The egg hatches and the fly larva enters the body cavity of the beetle, feeding on and eventually killing the host before pupating. A species of bee fly, Exoprosopa fasciata, is also a parasite of this genus. The larvae feed on the ground and pupate in the grub cell where they stay over the winter. Wasps in numerous families, including Pelecinidae, Scoliidae, and Tiphiidae, are parasitoids of Phyllophaga grubs. A variety of amphibians, some small mammals, including skunks and moles, feed on the grubs. See also List of Phyllophaga species References Further reading Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence (1961). A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America. Evanston, Illinois: Row, Peterson, and Company. Evans, Arthur W. Generic Guide to New World Scarabs—subfamily Melolonthinae Haarstad, John A. Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota Smith, A. B. T. (2003). Checklist of the Scarabaeoidea of the Nearctic Realm. Version 3. Electronically published, Lincoln, Nebraska. 74 pp, available here. White, Richard E. (1998). Beetles: A Field Guide to the Beetles of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. . External links Phyllophaga spp. on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site Agricultural pest insects Folivores Melolonthinae Scarabaeidae genera Insect pests of millets