s , ▁and ▁past ure . ▁Veg et ation ▁in ▁regions ▁inf ested ▁with ▁Christmas ▁be et le ▁lar va e ▁with ers ▁and ▁y ell ows ; ▁this ▁is ▁a ▁common ▁cause ▁of ▁dead ▁or ▁yellow ▁patch es ▁seen ▁in ▁sub urban ▁Australian ▁la wn s . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁winter ▁or ▁early ▁spring , ▁lar va e ▁move ▁to ▁the ▁surface ▁of ▁the ▁soil ▁and ▁pup ate . ▁Several ▁weeks ▁later , ▁adult s ▁emer ge . ▁They ▁wait ▁for ▁rain ▁to ▁soft en ▁the ▁soil , ▁allowing ▁them ▁to ▁bur row ▁out . ▁Spring ▁th under st orm s ▁can ▁trigger ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁be et les ▁in ▁a ▁short ▁time . ▁Con vers ely , ▁be et les ▁can ▁be ▁caught ▁under ground ▁by ▁extended ▁dry ▁periods , ▁causing ▁them ▁to ▁die ▁without ▁emer ging . ▁ ▁New ly ▁emer ged ▁adult ▁be et les ▁fly ▁to ▁a ▁suitable ▁nearby ▁plant ▁to ▁feed ▁and ▁mate . ▁They ▁favour ▁Eu cal y pt us ▁leaves ▁as ▁food . ▁They ▁can ▁cause ▁severe ▁def oli ation ▁when ▁they ▁emer ge ▁in ▁large ▁numbers ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁fav ou rable ▁weather ▁conditions . ▁After ▁m ating , ▁females ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁soil ▁to ▁lay ▁eggs . ▁ ▁Ad ult ▁Christmas ▁be et les ▁have ▁a ▁long ▁active ▁cycle , ▁remaining ▁common ▁throughout ▁the ▁entire ▁southern ▁summer ▁. ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁An op log n ath us ▁vir idia ene us ▁( K ing ▁Christmas ▁be et le