Which pest's larvae are legless and white with a yellow to brown head capsule?

• A. Hairy chinch bug
• B. Bluegrass billbug
• C. Black cutworms
• D. Sod webworm

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is recognizing larval form to identify turfgrass pests. The bluegrass billbug larvae are distinct because they are legless white grubs with a yellow to brown head capsule. This combination—no legs, pale body, and a darker head capsule—is a classic description of billbug larvae feeding on roots and stolons, which leads to thinning and dying patches in the turf. Other common turf pests have different larval forms: caterpillar-like pests (such as cutworms and sod webworms) have multiple true legs and prolegs; chinch bug immature stages have legs as well. So the legless, white grub with a yellow-to-brown head points to bluegrass billbug as the correct identification.