Please help identify this insect.
 

I understand not all grubs are bad but I seem to have a lot of these. Currently, as I find them, I'm leaving them in a pie tin for the birds. Are they harmful? Any thoughts on how to get them out of my container garden other than sift the soil?

Thank you.

Ahh! The Japanese Beetle
 

After I found about 40 I visited the local nursery. They suggested the Sevin granular product.

I find those grubs in my compost pile and my soil when I turn it prior to planting. I also find them in the potting soil in my containers when I repot them. When I see them I usually spread the compost out and rake through it looking for the grubs. They are pretty easy to pick out and squish with a stick. I let their squished carcasses fertilize my plants. Leaving them for birds is a good idea too, if you have nice birds.

The grubs are larvae for some kind of beetle or moth. (I am not sure which one you have.) These larvae may or may not eat the roots of your plants. Last weekend I was at Picnic Day at UC Davis and the entomology department had a display with larvae that looked like these. That particular one turned into a bright green stink beetle about the size of a quarter. The nice entomologists there looked a little uncomfortable when I told them I squish them. They told me that particular larvae wouldn't eat my plants roots but they wouldn't extend the guarantee to all grubs.

Personally, I squish them when I see them, but when I don't see them I don't worry about them. Leaving them for birds would be a good idea too. I wouldn't put sevin into my vegetable garden unless I was desperate. I don't even use sevin on my roses. It kills a lot more than just grubs (think bees and lady bugs) and it's hard to apply underground.

Where I grew up, grubs like this were June Bug larvae, a very common coleopteran.

Am not sure which ones on the pic, but I did use Milky spores for my soil. Works wonders.

Milky spores are good for Japanese beetles. Check out the post by
PureHarvest where he recommends beneficial nematodes

[url]http://www.arbico-organics.com/categ...-LcaAlXU8P8HAQ[/url]

I never tried this myself. I enjoy squishing them.

Yeah, milky spore won't kill all species of grubs.

Look at these guys:
[URL="http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/beneficial-nematodes"]http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/beneficial-nematodes[/URL]