.......Phyllophaga ilicis (Knoch, 1801)

Phyllophaga ilicis. Photos by: Maxi Polihronakis.

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Left Lateral View	Dorsal View	Right Lateral View
Phyllophaga ilicis male genitalia. Photos by: Maxi Polihronakis.

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Lateral View	Ventral View
Phyllophaga ilicis female genitalia. Photos by: Maxi Polihronakis.

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Phyllophaga ilicis distribution.

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Distribution: Broad midwest and eastern distribution except for along the coast lines: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Putative North Dakota and Florida collections remain unconfirmed.

Remarks: The male and female genitalia of P. ilicis support its status as a member of the P. fraterna group. However, this is a large (18.3-23mm), pubescent species and thus can usually be distinguished from the other members of this group. Although Luginbill and Painter (1953) reported consistent form except for characters of the female genitalia, P.ilicis male genitalia observed from multiple Georgia populations is also quite variable (M. Polihronakis, unpub.).

References:
Luginbill , P. and H.R. Painter. 1953. May beetles of the United States and Canada. United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 1060:1-102.

Woodruff, R.E. and B. M. Beck. 1989. The scarab beetles of Florida (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Part II. The May or June beetles (genus Phyllophaga). Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, FL.