Looks like a beetle, probably scarab of some sort. I bet you get a lot of SOMEthing in the spring!

Will they be harmful? And by the way, I kept putting it upright and it would flip back over like this and inch away. Kind of like something disgusting from a horror movie.

collect them up.. and throw them on the driveway or sidewalk ... the birds will make them disappear fast enough .. a nice juicy treat ...

if you turn the soil every week or so ... and leave it fallow until spring.. you might notice birds visiting the turned soil ... they will probably hunt them out ...

mother earth is not sterile ... so you need to chill a bit ... it shouldnt be a horror movie ... lol ...

since its a veg garden ... there isnt much i would do to get them out of the soil ...

as to whether you will have a population explosion.. who knows ... now that you know the potential.. you can keep your eyes out for them ... see link .. in the mean time.. you research to find out if they are harmful to your crop .. or beneficial .. no use killing off the good ones [i am sure someone will tell you.. i am just telling you the thought process of figuring it out yourself .... if you want to]...

never forget ... they might not procreate... by the plant that they attack ... i find it odd... that you found them under tomato/pepper... yet dont mention any severe damage to those.. this summer ... which makes me wonder ... are they really a problem for you???

bottom line ... just because you found them .. does NOT necessary mean.. you found a problem that needs fixing ... [and i am positive... rhiz will zoom back in.. and tell us they are the bane of the universe ... and that i am full of manure.... its how it usually works when i wax poetic on things.. lol]

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=Scarab+beetle&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0i9i_zcLJAhWo6IMKHTwaAWQQ_AUIBygB&biw=878&bih=745&dpr=0.9

Ken, clearly you either don't read or don't comprehend much of what I may contribute to the forums. Best not to put words in my mouth.

Wunderpit, the truth is, though all beetle larvae feed on something in the ground and many of them do damage plant roots......many species simply don't cause much of a problem.

The adult beetles follow the same pattern....some are a real problem, causing damage to foliage and fruit.

It's very difficult to ID beetles grubs...many of them look superficially the same. It's only by accurate identification that we could tell you whether or not to worry.

At the very least, remove and destroy any grubs that you find.

By the way, several images of the Green Fruit beetle grub that I saw are flipped over on their backs. That's one of the scarabs quite common in your area.

There are some 30,000 Scarab beetle species in the world ranging from the June Beetle to the Japanese Beetle to the sacred Beetle of ancient Egypt. Many of the larva are those familiar "C" shaped type but, like yours, some are straight.

https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=C211US0D20140708&p=larva+of+scarab+beetles

kimmq is kimmsr

That might be a bit confusing, kimmsr, because many of those 'C' shaped grubs will straighten out when they move.

Wunder, I'm pretty sure that your grubs ARE those of the green fruit beetle, Cotinus mutabilis. CLICK HERE FOR A FACT SHEET.

You did a good job of describing that particular characteristic peculiar to that species....flipping over on it's back when it wants to move! That you found yours in your raised bed is another clue. Most people build their raised beds with an overabundance of organic matter...potting medium, peat, compost, manure, etc. That's exactly the kind of environment in which the green fruit beetle thrives.

HERE IS ANOTHER FACT SHEET with further information and images of the larvae at rest.

It would be to your advantage to gently dig around in the bed to unearth more grubs. Though not a problem in the larval stage, the adults feed heavily on the ripe (and overripe) fruit of tomatoes, among other things.

Rhizo, thanks! Sure looks like the right thing.