Sport Field Insects – Identification, Biology & Principles of Control The Ohio State University/OARDC OSU Extension Columbus, OH Dr. David Shetlar

Sport Field Insects – Identification, Biology & Principles of Control

The Ohio State University/OARDC

OSU Extension

Columbus, OH

Dr. David Shetlar

2

Major Cool-Season Turfgrass Insect Pests

Occurring on Sport Fields

• White Grubs

• Billbugs

• Sod Webworms

• Chinch Bugs

3

White Grub Damage

4

Annual White Grub Species

• Masked Chafers (North America - N, S, SW, W, SE)

• Japanese Beetle (eastern NA)

• Oriental Beetle (northeastern NA)

• European Chafer (northeastern NA)

• Asiatic Garden Beetle (northeastern NA)

• Green June Beetle (south-transition NA)

5

White Grub Adults

Annual Grubs

GJB, EC, SMC, NMC, JB, OB, AGB

Multi-year Grubs, M/JBMulti-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

7

Identifying Grub Species

• Identify grubs by raster pattern

• Adults are easy to IDbut they don’t predict grub populations!

Japanese beetle has V-shaped pattern.

8

Japanese Beetle –

Japanese beetle adult skeletonizing leaf

Mating cluster of beetles in turf

9

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

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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

15

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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GJB crawls on back!

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Green June Beetle Distribution

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European Chafer –

© H. Niemczyk

European chafer adults swarming to tree at dusk for mating

Adult

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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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Identifying Grub SpeciesOriental beetle has two rows of small spines, 12-15 in number.

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

24

Billbug damage to lawn

© HDN

Bluegrass billbug adult on sidewalk© HDN

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Bluegrass Billbug

Adult and larva

Larva in crown

26

Billbug Distribution Maps

Bluegrass billbug Hunting billbug

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The “Tug Test”

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© HDN

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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Sod WebwormsSpring 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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Hairy Chinch Bug Damage to Lawn

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Hairy chinch bugs in thatch

Hairy chinch bug adults -long wing & short wing forms

Chinch bugs are rare on sport fields, most likely because of irrigation that causes the bugs to catch a fungal disease!

35

Integrated Pest Management(IPM)

Chemical

Biological Cultural

36

Target Principle

© HDN

© HDN

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Where do grubs feed?

Ans:

Soil-Thatch Interface

© HDN

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What do grubs eat?

Ans:THATCH, soil

(oh, and roots)

39

Japanese Beetle Life Stages

Egg Larva Pupa Adult

1st 2nd 3rd

Instar

40

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

Japanese Beetle Annual Cycle

Traditional Control TimingPreventive-Early Curative Timing

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42

Ranked Efficacy of White Grub Insecticides1976 – 2001a

–

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

Thiamethoxam 0.2 96.1 38 0-100 3(=Meridian)

Halofenozide 1.5 92.8 57 10-100 10 (=MACH2)Imidacloprid 0.3 93.7 58 58-100 7 (=Merit)Trichlorfon 8.0 77.6 90 0-98 19 (=Dylox, Proxol)Carbaryl 8.0 74.3 40 13-100 37 (=Sevin)Diazinon 4.0 69.0 20 47-99 42

5.5 74.8 41 25-100 29Chlorpyrifos 4.0 54.6 32 0-96 59 (=Dursban)

a Data from ESA publications (1977-2001) using masked chafer and Japanese beetle data where label timing recommendations were used and at least 4.0 grubs per sq.ft. were found in checks.

43

Are there Cultural-Biological Controls for White Grubs?

• Use deep rooted turf – turf-type tall fescue

• Promote deep roots with little thatch – dormant fertilization/complete fertilizer/frequent core aerification.

• Turn off lights at night that may attract night-flying grub adults (e.g., masked chafers).

• Milky disease of grubs – only 25-30% control (too expensive for what you get).

• Insect parasitic nematodes – work well if used correctly – fairly expensive compared to insecticides.

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Insecticide Rate % Control # Tests

OrganophosphatesDiazinon 5.5 94.0 4Dursban 1.0 98.7 18Dylox/Proxol 8.0 87.3 4Orthene 5.0 92.3 4

CarbamatesSevin 4.0 96.8 5Turcam 2.0 89.7 3

Turf Caterpillar Controls

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Turf Caterpillar ControlsInsecticide Rate % Control # Tests

PyrethroidsAstro 0.04 100.0 2DeltaGard 0.08 94.5 2Scimitar 0.02 96.8 5Tempo 0.10 97.6 21

SpinosynConserve 0.3 90.1 6

46

Turf Caterpillar ControlsInsecticide Rate % Control # Tests

ChloronicotinoidMerit 0.3 48.5 7

Molt Accelerator (growth regulator)MACH2 1.0 86.5 7

NematodesS. carpocapsae 1.0 bil 89.6 7H. bact. 0.5 bil 67.0 4

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Are there Cultural-Biological Controls for Turf Caterpillars?

• Use endophyte enhanced turf – turf-type tall fescues and perennial ryegrasses

• Promote growth, but not too heavy on the nitrogen – rapidly growing turf will mask the damage rapidly, but heavy nitrogen seems to “attract” cateripllars.

• Turn off lights at night that may attract cutworms and armyworms.

• Use bio-based products – Conserve (bacterial based), neem (botanical), and BT (for sod webworms only)


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Ranked Efficacy of Billbug Insecticides(used as preventives) - 1989 – 2000a

a Data from ESA publications (1989-2000) using bluegrass billbug data where timing of application was at egg lay to early egg hatch.

OPs

&

Carb

rate aveInsecticide lb.ai./a. % control # tests

Fonofos 2.0 79.1 2(=Crusade)

Carbaryl 6.0 91.7 1 (=Sevin)

Chlorpyrifos 1.0 47.8 3 (=Dursban) 2.0 74.5 3

Diazinon 4.0 88.2 4

8.0 58.3 1

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Pyrethroidsrate ave

Insecticide lb.ai./a. % control # tests

lam-Cyhalothrin 0.06 81.0 1 (=Scimitar)

Deltamethrin 0.06 71.0 1 (=DeltaGard) 0.13 75.2 2

Bifenthrin 0.05 50.1 1 (=Talstar) 0.1 54.2 1

Cyfluthrin 0.14 39.4 2 (=Tempo)

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NeoNs

&

IGR


Halofenozide 1.5 62.6 6 (=MACH2) 2.0 41.4 2

Imidacloprid 0.3 86.4 8 (=Merit) 0.4 61.5 6

Thiamethoxam 0.2 81.0 1 (=Meridian) 0.26 100 1

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Ranked Efficacy of Billbug Insecticides(used as curatives) - 1989 – 2000a

a Data from ESA publications (1989-2000) using bluegrass billbug data where timing of application was to control larvae.


Chlorpyrifos 1.0 40.3 1(=Dursban)

Permethrin 0.4 59.0 1 (=Astro) 0.8 38.3 1

Thiamethoxam 1.5 64.7 6 (=MACH2) 2.0 17.0 1

Deltamethrin 0.13 16.7 1 (=DeltaGard)

Diazinon 4.0 65.6 5

Imidacloprid 0.3 64.7 6(=Merit)

Bifenthrin 0.1 67.0 1(=Talstar)

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Are there Cultural-Biological Controls for Billbugs?

• Use endophyte enhanced turf – turf-type tall fescues and perennial ryegrasses

• Water in mid-June through mid-July to help turf grow through the billbug damage.


Occurrence of Target SF Insect Pests

April May June July August Sept

G

SWW

CB/a

BB/a

SWW

CB/n

G-prv

BB/l

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/n

G-prv

BB/l

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/n&a

G-prv

BB/a

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/a

G-prv

BB/a

BB/l-prv

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/a

G-prv

BB/a

BB/l-prv

CB/n-sup

controlled with CONSERVE®



G

SWW

CB/a

BB/a

SWW

CB/n

G-prv

BB/l

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/n

G-prv

BB/l

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/n&a

G-prv

BB/a

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/a

G-prv

BB/a

BB/l-prv

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/a

G-prv

BB/a

BB/l-prv

CB/n-sup

55



G

SWW

CB/a

BB/a

SWW

CB/n

G-prv

BB/l

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/n

G-prv

BB/l

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/n&a

G-prv

BB/a

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/a

G-prv

BB/a

BB/l-prv

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/a

G-prv

BB/a

BB/l-prv

CB/n-sup

controlled with MACH2®

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Occurrence of Target Lawn Insect Pests


G

SWW

CB/a

BB/a

SWW

CB/n

G-prv

BB/l

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/n

G-prv

BB/l

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/n&a

G-prv

BB/a

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/a

G-prv

BB/a

BB/l-prv

CB/n-sup

G

SWW

CB/a

G-prv

BB/a

BB/l-prv

CB/n-sup

controlled with MERIT®

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Come visit the BugDoc at:

http://bugs.osu.edu

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Documents

Sport Field Insects – Identification, Biology & Principles of Control The Ohio State University/OARDC OSU Extension Columbus, OH Dr. David Shetlar