Small June Beetle
This beetle came to our porch light on July 23, 2024, so it might more accurately be termed a “July Beetle”. But considering that scarab beetles like this are freely called “May Beetles” and “June Bugs” regardless of which month they come out, I’ll just stick with “June Beetle” and call it good.
This particular one was only about the size of my fingernail, which while it is a decent size compared to beetles in general, is kind of small compared to some other scarab beetles. It does have the characteristic scarab beetle traits, like the antennae that divide into little “fingers” at the tip, and the powerful front legs that are somewhat modified for digging.
And it also has fairly spiny back legs, which I am sure make them unpleasant to eat.
I believe that this is one of the 110 or so species in the genus Serica, which are only distinguishable by experts who are able to examine the male genitalia (females are only distinguishable to species by seeing which males they mate with). Oh, I suppose one could also tell the species apart by DNA analysis. I was about to then go on to say “but who has that kind of money?”, but then stopped to consider: how much does a DNA ID cost?
Well, it turns out that Iowa State University Extension Service will actually do this, and it isn’t even all that expensive – only $35! They will first make a stab at a visual ID for $10, and follow up with a DNA analysis if it isn’t obvious what they’ve got. It looks like the Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service also includes insect IDs in their list of services, but while they will do a visual ID by keys, it doesn’t look they offer routine genetic analysis. Howard Russell at Michigan State University gives some tips for shipping insects for ID. He notes that while elaborate packaging (like the beetle that was sent in a little metal-tin “coffin” that said “R.I.P.” inside the lid) is sometimes amusing to him, it isn’t really necessary.
Next time I find something particularly cryptic, I think I need to send it to Iowa State to see what they make of it. I think I can afford the $35 from time to time.
Incidentally, Iowa State University is also the host for the BugGuide insect ID site that I constantly link to. If I wanted to go study entomology somewhere, it looks like Iowa State would be a good choice.
DNA testing for insects? Fantastic! Perhaps you could turn it into one of those “surprising ancestry” shows where you tell the beetle that it actually has some DNA from a different kind of beetle that isn’t nearly as attractive.