JULY 2015 • NEBRASKAland 23
NEBRASKAland
Visitor
and
Last issue's winner of
the Visitor drawing was
Lee Saunders of Waterloo,
Nebraska, who found the June bug
on page 3. Readers are encouraged
to contact NEBRASKAland within 10
days after this issue's publication
with the correct page number and
name of this issue's "Visitor" – a
critter found in Nebraska. We will
then gather the correct entries and
draw one to win a NEBRASKAland
Magazine mug.
To enter each month, write:
NEBRASKAland Visitor
2200 North 33rd Street,
Lincoln, NE 68503.
Or e-mail:
Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov
with "Visitor" in the subject line of
the message.
HINT: This issue's visitor is not on
pages 3-4, 12, 23, 40-41, 54, or 64.
Scarab beetles make up a very
large family of short, oval, stout
bodied beetles. The June beetle,
a well-known member of this
family, ranges in color from light
gold, to reddish brown, to almost
black. It gets its common name
from its tendency to emerge in
May and June. These beetles are
attracted to light, and you can
often find them in the evening,
around your porch light. There
are several species of June beetles
(Phyllophaga spp.) found in
Nebraska, and it takes from one
to four years to reach maturity,
depending on species. The larvae
of June beetles are white and
c-shaped; these are the common
white grubs in lawns. Adult
females lay eggs in the soil in mid-
summer. After hatching, the grubs
live underground,
feeding on roots
until pupating,
before emerging
in spring.
Bugguide.net is a popular site for identification.
Special thanks to Julie Van Meter, State
Entomologist, Nebraska Department of
Agriculture. Photo from Thinkstock.
Look Around,
Nature's
Waiting
By Lindsay Rogers, Wildlife
Education Specialist
Below you will find 10 different
natural objects perfect for a July
scavenger hunt with your young ones.
Head outside and look, really look, and
you will find them!
July 22
Family Fishing Events
Benson
Park Pond, Omaha, 6-8 p.m.; Laing
Lake, Alliance, 6-8 p.m.
July 25
The Dam Run 5K Run/Walk
Lake McConaughy SRA, Ogallala,
308-284-6023
July 25
Kites and Castles Contest
Lake
McConaughy SRA, Ogallala, noon,
308-284-8800
July 25
Kite Day
Niobrara SP Niobrara, 1-3
p.m., 402-857-3373
July 25
Campfire Christmas in July
Indian
Cave SP, Shubert, 402-883-2575
July 25
State High School Fishing
Tournament
Lewis and Clark Lake
SRA, Crofton, 580-765-9031
July 25
Beyond BOW Beginning
Kayaking Workshop
Lake Wanahoo
SRA, 402-471-6009
July 26
National Park Service Parent's
Day Program
Niobrara SP, Niobrara,
11 a.m., 402-857-3373
July 28
Family Fishing Event
Carney Park,
O'Neill, 6-8 p.m.
July 29
Family Fishing Event
Melham Park,
Broken Bow, 6-8 p.m.
July 30
Family Fishing Event
Auble Pond,
Ord, 6-8 p.m.
When you have found all these items,
gather them together and take a picture.
E-mail the image to me and I'll send
you a prize! You can e-mail me at
lindsay.rogers@nebraska.gov. ■
1. A Pinecone.
2. A Seed from a tree … any tree, but it
must be a tree!
3. Three
leaves from
different
plants.
4. A yellow flower.
5. An
oval
rock.
6. A leaf that
is partially
eaten.
7. A cicada's
exoskeleton.
8. A stick that
looks like the
letter "Y."
9. A natural object
with a hole in it. 10. Something
orange.
