Curl Grubs
Scarab beetle larvae (Scarabaeidae)
C-shaped, creamy-white beetle larvae that live in soil and eat grass roots, causing patches of turf that die and lift away like loose carpet.
- Shape
- C-shaped, cream with brown head
- Feeds on
- Grass roots
- Sign
- Turf lifts like carpet
- Adults
- Scarab beetles
Questions about the Curl Grubs
How to identify a Curl Grubs
Identification
- Creamy-white, C-shaped body up to about 25–40 mm depending on species.
- Brown head and three pairs of legs near the head.
- Swollen, often greyish rear end.
Where it lives
- Soil under lawns and garden beds, especially sandy soils.
Behaviour
- Feed on roots through summer and autumn.
- Attract birds and bandicoots, which dig the lawn to eat them.
Why it matters
Root damage stops turf taking up water, so patches brown off even when watered. See what are curl grubs.
Commonly confused with
Lawn Armyworm
Spodoptera mauritia
A moth caterpillar that feeds on grass at night and can turn lawns brown within days, especially in Queensland and northern NSW in late summer and autumn.
African Black Beetle
Heteronychus arator
An introduced, shiny black scarab beetle whose larvae are a common type of curl grub. Adults also chew grass at the base and are drawn to lights.
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Lawn Pests by location
More about lawn pests
Lawn Pests
Caterpillars and beetle larvae that eat grass leaves or roots, leaving brown, dying patches. Armyworm and curl grubs cause most lawn damage in eastern Australia, especially in warm, humid months.
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Sources & further reading
- Queensland Museum — insects, spiders and animals of Queensland — Queensland Museum
- CSIRO — insect and pest research — CSIRO
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