Which statement about Japanese beetle larvae is true?

Which statement about Japanese beetle larvae is true?

• A. Larvae are white, curled, and have brown heads.
• B. Larvae are orange and flat.
• C. Larvae are transparent and legless.
• D. Larvae are black and elongated.

Answer: (A)

Japanese beetle larvae are white grubs that are distinctly C-shaped when in the soil, with a brown head capsule. This combination—creamy white body, a curved “C” shape, and a brown head—is how these scarab larvae are normally identified. They also have six small legs near the front, which helps differentiate them from legless worm-like larvae. They aren’t orange and flat, aren’t transparent and legless, and aren’t black and elongated, which helps separate them from other soil-feeding larvae like wireworms or cutworms. So, the statement that describes white, curled larvae with brown heads accurately matches the typical appearance of Japanese beetle larvae.

Japanese beetle larvae are white grubs that are distinctly C-shaped when in the soil, with a brown head capsule. This combination—creamy white body, a curved “C” shape, and a brown head—is how these scarab larvae are normally identified. They also have six small legs near the front, which helps differentiate them from legless worm-like larvae. They aren’t orange and flat, aren’t transparent and legless, and aren’t black and elongated, which helps separate them from other soil-feeding larvae like wireworms or cutworms. So, the statement that describes white, curled larvae with brown heads accurately matches the typical appearance of Japanese beetle larvae.