Looks like Junebug grubs. I haven't had problems with them bothering my vegetables, but I've heard they can play havoc on lawns (don't have one so can't speak to that).

Hey thanks for the quick reply! And yes it is most likely a skunk or raccoon digging for them! I do pest control for a living and trap raccoons or skunks all the time because they destroy customer lawns, garden, and planters! I'm hoping to get some more responses to soni can make sure of what they are. I've researched them and it's so hard to find out exactly what they are...

We call them potato bugs, cause they break down compost and eat potatoes. They're found in grass, bark and other places with lots of organic material. Never noticed any damage from them on my vegetables. Ive grown carrot, beet, lettuce, cabbages, broccoli and herbs So far. Lots of them in grass.

would remove them from a small patch of potato

Look like grubs to me as well.We had them in our lawn and the skunks tore it up digging for them.i didn't like to use a lot of pesticides and believe me we paid for that.Between those and the drought we now have a dirt backyard,and i am not the least bit happy about that.

Our plan now is to turn the backyard into succulent gardens,since we can't water.

Kathi

Here is what they become. By chance the pic I chose has a website for control

I guess you get to see some of my bookmarks too.

Japanese beetle? I didn't think we had JB's in California.

It's probably a figeater beetle or a June bug. I find them in my soil too, especially where I've been burying kitchen scraps. Are there fig trees around you, Marley?

Fig beatle grubs. We put them in a bucket of soil and give it to a freiend with chickens. We call them chicken candy- they go nuts for them! This is what they look like when they get really big.

I just saw one today while turning the soil as well. Never had seen one before.

We have plenty of Japanese beetles on the coast in San Diego.

Here's an article from U of C news about Japanese beetles.

Tim, you may have them in San Diego as they've been found in L.A. county. Most of the state does not have them...yet. There's also a pic at the end showing the Green Fruit beetle, which does look a lot like the Japanese beetle.

http://ucnfanews.ucanr.edu/Articles/Insect_Hot_Topics/Japanese_Beetles/

Really! I did not know that we have them. Too bad.

My mistake. Fruit beetle.

i can't dig in my yard without finding them I pay them no mind.

the coons and possums dig them up now and again, but that's ok too.

Raccoons love them. When I find them I toss them onto the sidewalk and the Scrub Jays get them.

ewwww they are gross, huh? I am in Burbank (we drive to Ojai for a day trip every so often). I was recently reading online the difference between grubs and cut worms .... i think I have a cut worm problem.....chopped down tomato and eggplant plants. I believe the grubs are into eating your lawn and the cutworms the plants. I will look it up again, but clearly you have many expert answers on here! I have been using neem oil in my garden to ward off insects as much as possible. But some are beneficial (such a dilemma)

June bug grubs. Fig beetle grubs look a little different. Similar, but they don't have a pronounced a black butt as June bug grubs do. I have them in my raised beds, hundreds of them. They actually don't hurt the plants, but I opted to dig out as many as I could find. And Tim, you're right, it's not the Japanese beetle we have here (thank goodness - yet), but the nasty Fruit or Fig beetle. They're big, iridescent green, and they go after my figs. I see them in the later summer. Hate them.

They go after our nectarines,and do a pretty good job of devouring them.As i said in an earlier post the skunks tore our backyard to smitherenes going after them.We replaced the yard with rock this year(april).

Kathi