Identification of Australian canegrubs (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae : Melolonthini)

Larvae of Melolonthini are commonly known as whitegrubs or, in the Australi an sugar industry, as canegrubs. In Australia, there are 119 recognised spe cies of Melolonthini, of which 75 are found in Queensland. Of the 75 specie s, this study examines 19 species that are recognised sugarcane pests. Thes e belong to the genera Antitrogus Burmeister, Dermolepida Arrow, Lepidiota Kirby and Rhopaea Erichson. Descriptions of adults and larvae of the 19 spe cies are provided in this paper, as well as species identification keys for both adults and larvae and a key to the tribes, as a premise for introduci ng more effective management strategies. Identification of canegrubs is per tinent because the various species have different ecologies, behaviours and insecticide susceptibilities, and their control requires different methods and rates of application of insecticides. We have separated larvae of the species on the basis of their raster pattern, locality and, where necessary , head width. Larvae of some species are difficult to identify and we sugge st use of molecular tools for their identification.