Lawn Insects. Identification, Biology & Principles of Control. Annual White Grub Species. Major Cool-Season Lawn Turfgrass Insect Pests

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Lawn Insects –

Identification, Biology &

Principles of Control

The Ohio State University/OARDC

OSU Extension

Columbus, OH

Dr. David Shetlar

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Major Cool-Season Lawn

Turfgrass Insect Pests

• White Grubs

• Billbugs

• Chinch Bugs

• Sod Webworms

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White Grub

Damage

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Annual White Grub Species

• Masked Chafers

(North America - N, S, SW, W, SE)

• Japanese Beetle

(eastern NA)

• Oriental Beetle

(northeastern NA)

• European Chafer

• Asiatic Garden Beetle

• Green June Beetle

(south -transition NA)

• May/June Beetles

(southern only)

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White Grub Adults

Annual Grubs

GJB, EC, SMC, NMC, JB, OB, AGB Multi-year Grubs,M/JB

Multi-gen /yr Grub, BTA 6

White Grub Third Instars

Annual Grubs

GJB, EC, MC, JB, OB, AGB Multi-year Grubs,M/JB Multi-gen /yr Grub,BTA

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Identifying Grub Species

• Identify grubs by raster pattern

• Adults are easy to ID

but they don’t predict grub populations!

Japanese beetle has V- shaped pattern.

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Japanese Beetle –

Japanese beetle adult skeletonizing leaf

Mating cluster of beetles in turf

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Japanese beetle distribution (2000)

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Japanese Beetle Life Stages –

egg 1st 2nd 3rd pupa adult instar larva

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JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Japanese Beetle Annual Cycle

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Masked Chafers –

Pair of masked chafers at night on turf

Masked chafer eggs

newly laid (below) 48 hours in moist soil (above)

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Identifying Grub Species

Masked chafers have no pattern!

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Northern Masked Chafer Southern Masked Chafer

Southwestern Masked Chafer Western Masked Chafer

Masked Chafer Distribution Maps

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Northern Masked Chafer Life Stages –

egg 1st 2nd 3rd pupa adult instar larva

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Masked Chafer Annual Cycle

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Green June Beetle –

Adult

Mature grub “crawling” on soil

Grub in overwintering burrow Overwintering Japanese beetles

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Identifying Grub Species

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Green June Beetle Distribution

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European Chafer –

European chafer adults swarming to tree at dusk for mating Adult

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Identifying Grub Species

European chafers have Y-shaped anus & two rows of bristles that diverge at anus.

Y-shaped anus with two rows of bristles.

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European Chafer Distribution (2000)

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European Chafer Life Cycle

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Oriental Beetle &

Asiatic Garden Beetle –

Three common color forms of Oriental beetle

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Identifying Grub Species

Oriental beetle has two

rows of small spines, 12-15 in number.

Asiatic garden beetle has vertical anus & broad U-shaped spine pattern.

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Asiatic Garden Beetle (2000) Oriental Beetle (2000)

Oriental Beetle & Asiatic Garden Beetle

Distribution Maps

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Billbug damage to lawn

Bluegrass billbug adult on sidewalk © HDN

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Bluegrass Billbug

Adult and larva

Larva in crown

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Billbug Distribution Maps

Bluegrass billbug Hunting billbug

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Bluegrass Billbug Life Stages

small larva mature larva fresh pupa mature pupa callow adult mature adult

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Bluegrass Billbug Life Cycle in Ohio

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Hairy Chinch Bug Damage to Lawn

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Hairy chinch bugs in thatch

Hairy chinch bug adults -long wing & short wing forms

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Chinch Bug Distribution Maps

Hairy chinch bug Common chinch bug

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Hairy Chinch Bug Life Stages

egg 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th short winged normal winged instar nymphs adult adult

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Hairy Chinch Bug Life Cycle in Ohio

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Sod Webworms

Spring damage

Larva and frass Adult bluegrass webworm

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Bluegrass webworm Larger sod webworm

Striped sod webworm Cranberry girdler

Sod Webworm Distribution Maps

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Bluegrass Webworm in Ohio

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Target

Principle

Where do

grubs feed?

Ans:

Soil-Thatch

Interface

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What do

grubs eat?

Ans:

THATCH, soil

(oh, and roots)

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Japanese Beetle Life Stages

Egg Larva Pupa Adult

1st 2nd 3rd

Instar

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JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Japanese Beetle Annual Cycle

Traditional Control Timing

Preventive-Early Curative Timing 46

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Ranked Efficacy of White Grub Insecticides – 1976-19991

rate ave range % of tests Insecticide lb.ai./a. % control # tests % control below 70%

Thiamethoxam 0.2 99.3 17 94-100 0 (=Meridian) Halofenozide 1.5 95.4 50 10-100 6 (=MACH2) Imidacloprid 0.3 93.7 58 58-100 7 (=Merit) Trichlorfon 8.0 77.4 89 0-98 20 (=Dylox, Proxol) Carbaryl 8.0 74.3 40 13-100 37 (=Sevin) Diazinon 4.0 69.9 19 47-99 42 5.5 74.8 41 25-100 29 Chlorpyrifos 4.0 54.6 32 0-96 59 (=Dursban) 48

Turf Caterpillar Controls

Insecticide Rate % Control # Tests

Organophosphates Diazinon 5.5 94.0 4 Dursban 1.0 98.7 18 Dylox/Proxol 8.0 87.3 4 Orthene 5.0 92.3 4 Carbamates Sevin 4.0 96.8 5 Turcam 2.0 89.7 3

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Turf Caterpillar Controls

Pyrethroids Astro 0.04 100.0 2 DeltaGard 0.08 94.5 2 Scimitar 0.02 96.8 5 Tempo 0.10 97.6 21 Spinosyn Conserve 0.3 90.1 6 50

Turf Caterpillar Controls

Chloronicotinoid

Merit 0.3 48.5 7

Molt Accelerator (growth regulator)

MACH2 1.0 86.5 7

Nematodes

S. carpocapsae 1.0 bil 89.6 7

H. bact. 0.5 bil 67.0 4

Occurrence of Target Lawn Insect Pests

April May June July August Sept

CG CSWW CCB/a CBB/a CAph-prv CSWW CCB/n CG-prv CBB/l CAph-prv CCB/n-sup CG CSWW CCB/n CG-prv CBB/l CAph-prv CCB/n-sup CG CSWW CCB/n&a CG-prv CBB/a CAph-prv CCB/n-sup CG CSWW CCB/a CG-prv CBB/a CBB/l-prv CAph-prv CCB/n-sup CG CSWW CCB/a CG-prv CBB/a CBB/l-prv CAph-prv CCB/n-sup

controlled with CONSERVE®

Occurrence of Target Lawn Insect Pests

CG CSWW CCB/a CBB/a CAph-prv CSWW CCB/n CG-prv CBB/l CAph-prv CCB/n-sup CG CSWW CCB/n CG-prv CBB/l CAph-prv CCB/n-sup CG CSWW CCB/n&a CG-prv CBB/a CAph-prv CCB/n-sup CG CSWW CCB/a CG-prv CBB/a CBB/l-prv CAph-prv CCB/n-sup CG CSWW CCB/a CG-prv CBB/a CBB/l-prv CAph-prv CCB/n-sup 53

Occurrence of Target Lawn Insect Pests

controlled with MACH2 ® 54

Occurrence of Target Lawn Insect Pests

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Turf Insect Control

(for homeowners)

White Grubs (Preventive)

GrubEx (halofenozide) Grub-B-Gon (halofenozide )

Season-Long Grub Control (imidacloprid)

White Grubs (Curative)

24-hr Grub Control (trichlorfon – = Dylox/Proxol)

Sevin ??

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Turf Insect Control

(for professionals)

White Grubs (Preventive)

MACH2 (halofenozide ) Merit (imidacloprid)

White Grubs (Curative)

Dylox / Proxol? (trichlorfon) Sevin ??

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Turf Insect Control

(for homeowners)

Billbugs

halofenozide (preventive&curative - good) imidacloprid (preventive - good)

pyrethroids (cyfluthrin - preventive)

Chinch bugs

imidacloprid (preventive - moderate) pyrethroids (cyfluthrin - poor)

Sod webworms (not a problem in lawns)

pyrethroids - good

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Turf Insect Control

(for professionals)

Billbugs

halofenozide (preventive&curative - good) imidacloprid (preventive - good)

pyrethroids (preventive - fair)

Chinch bugs

imidacloprid (preventive - moderate) pyrethroids (curative - poor)

Sod webworms (not a problem in lawns)

pyrethroids (curative – good)

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