BTW these are Zinnias that the JB have been chomping. So I am not sure these guys did their own nibbling.

I think those are Junebugs.....atleast..that's what my husband has been calling them. lol

They like water.....anyplace I have something with water, I find their remains. I had about 5 of them in the greenhouse...all of them ended up in my water barrel.

June bug is what we've always called them! It is a native beetle, unlike the horrid japanese beetle.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cotinis nitida

Yup, i've heard they are called junebugs. If you have fruit they are very destructive, but i haven't noticed them damaging any foliage. We called the masked chafer beetles junebugs up north, i assume because we didn't have these big guys. So i was very confused at first. They are pretty and don't seem to be as numerous as JB's or the masked chafers. Are they related to JB's?

Plain old June Bugs-- we used to tie a string around them and watch them fly around and around. Didn't have much in the way of toys those days.

Hmm, if these are June bugs then what are the flying beetles that are chestnut brown and a bit smaller than JBs?

Thank you, Dottie- those are WE called junebugs growing up, up north (they don't have the green monster bugs). I believe they are known as masked chafer bugs in other circles. Need to look it up. But when i say junebug, that's what i mean.

The June bugs I remember were quite a bit larger than JB's and also that chestnut color. Unlike JB's, the Junebugs were attracted to light and you could hear them banging on the windows and screens outside a lighted room.

yup- that's them. Let me see if i can find a link...

while looking i found this:
"June bugs belong to a large group of insects called scarab beetles. There are actually at least two species of "June bug" normally found around lights in Iowa. The larger beetles are called May or June beetles and are members of the insect genus Phyllophaga. They are called May or June beetles because the adults emerge and subsequently arrive at our lights in May and June. They are about .5 to 1 inch long and dark brown. The second species is the northern masked chafer, Cyclocephala borealis. This beetle is smaller, about .5 inch long, and a lighter tan color. The northern masked chafer will emerge in late June and you will be able to find them circling a light near you."

to me, they look a lot alike (masked chafer & junebug, as referenced above). Not sure which we had up there, or which down here. But at least it does validate that 1/2 of the US calls the chestnut colored beetles junebugs. The big green ones popped up too, so the other 1/2 calls those june bugs. Which is why common names stink. :) Since we have all 3 around here it gets real confusing!

first- the masked chafer link-
flickr.com/photos/21379257@N00/451158462

this link has a bunch of beetles, shown with their names:
http://www.stevenanz.com/Main%5FDirectory/Plants%5FAnimals/Invertebrates/Insects/Coleoptera/Polyphaga%5FPart%5F1/

Here is a link that might be useful: enc brittania's 'june beetle ' pic

A lot of people call the ones in the photo's Green June Bugs and the brown ones June Bugs.