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

Major Cool-Season Turfgrass Insect Pests Occurring on Sport Fields White Grubs Billbugs Sod Webworms Chinch Bugs 2 9

White Grub Damage 3

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) 4

White Grub Adults GJB, EC, SMC, NMC, JB, OB, AGB Annual Grubs Multi-year Grubs, M/JB Annual Grubs GJB, EC, SMC, NMC, JB, OB, AGB Multi-gen/yr Grub, BTA 5

White Grub Third Instars Multi-gen/yr Grub, BTA Multi-year Grubs, M/JB Annual Grubs GJB, EC, MC, JB, OB, AGB 6

Identifying Grub Species • Identify grubs by raster pattern Japanese beetle has V-shaped pattern. • Adults are easy to ID but they don’t predict grub populations! 7

Japanese Beetle – Japanese beetle adult skeletonizing leaf Mating cluster of beetles in turf 8

Japanese beetle distribution (2000) 9

Japanese Beetle Life Stages – egg 1st 2nd 3rd pupa adult instar larva 10

Japanese Beetle Annual Cycle JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 11

Masked Chafers – Pair of masked chafers at night on turf Masked chafer eggs newly laid (below) 48 hours in moist soil (above) 12

Identifying Grub Species Masked chafers have no pattern! 13

Masked Chafer Distribution Maps Northern Masked Chafer Southern Masked Chafer Southwestern Masked Chafer Western Masked Chafer 14

Northern Masked Chafer Life Stages – egg 1st 2nd 3rd pupa adult instar larva 15

Masked Chafer Annual Cycle 16

Green June Beetle – Mature grub “crawling” on soil Adult Grub in overwintering burrow Overwintering Japanese beetles 17

Identifying Grub Species GJB crawls on back! 18

Green June Beetle Distribution 19

European Chafer – Adult © H. Niemczyk European chafer adults swarming to tree at dusk for mating 20

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. 21

European Chafer Distribution (2000) 22

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. 23

Bluegrass billbug adult on sidewalk Billbug damage to lawn © HDN Bluegrass billbug adult on sidewalk © HDN 24

Bluegrass Billbug Adult and larva Larva in crown 25

Billbug Distribution Maps Bluegrass billbug Hunting billbug 26

The “Tug Test” 27

Bluegrass Billbug Life Stages © HDN small larva mature larva fresh pupa mature pupa callow adult mature adult 28

Bluegrass Billbug Life Cycle in Ohio 29

Sod Webworms Spring damage Adult bluegrass webworm Larva and frass 30

Sod Webworm Distribution Maps Bluegrass webworm Larger sod webworm Striped sod webworm Cranberry girdler 31

Bluegrass Webworm in Ohio 32

Hairy Chinch Bug Damage to Lawn 33

Hairy chinch bugs in thatch Chinch bugs are rare on sport fields, most likely because of irrigation that causes the bugs to catch a fungal disease! Hairy chinch bug adults - long wing & short wing forms 34

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Chemical Biological Cultural 35

© HDN © HDN Target Principle 36

Soil-Thatch Interface Where do grubs feed? Ans: Soil-Thatch Interface © HDN 37

What do grubs eat? Ans: THATCH, soil (oh, and roots) 38

Japanese Beetle Life Stages Egg Larva Pupa Adult 1st 2nd 3rd Instar 39

Japanese Beetle Annual Cycle JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Traditional Control Timing Preventive-Early Curative Timing 40

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Ranked Efficacy of White Grub Insecticides – Ranked Efficacy of White Grub Insecticides 1976 – 2001a rate ave range % of tests Insecticide lb.ai . /a. % control # tests 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 -98 19 (=Dylox, Proxol) Carbaryl 74.3 40 13-100 37 (= Sevin) Diazinon 4.0 69.0 20 47-99 42 5.5 74.8 41 25-100 29 Chlorpyrifos 54.6 32 0-96 59 (=Dursban) 42 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.

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. 43

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 44

Turf Caterpillar Controls Insecticide Rate % Control # Tests 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 45

Turf Caterpillar Controls Insecticide Rate % Control # Tests 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 46

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) Insect parasitic nematodes – work well if used correctly – fairly expensive compared to insecticides. 47

Ranked Efficacy of Billbug Insecticides (used as preventives) - 1989 – 2000a rate ave Insecticide 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) 74.5 Diazinon 4.0 88.2 4 8.0 58.3 OPs & Carb a Data from ESA publications (1989-2000) using bluegrass billbug data where timing of application was at egg lay to early egg hatch. 48

Ranked Efficacy of Billbug Insecticides (used as preventives) - 1989 – 2000a rate ave Insecticide lb.ai . /a. % control # tests Pyrethroids lam-Cyhalothrin 0.06 81.0 1 (=Scimitar) Deltamethrin 71.0 (=DeltaGard) 0.13 75.2 2 Bifenthrin 0.05 50.1 (=Talstar) 0.1 54.2 Cyfluthrin 0.14 39.4 (=Tempo) a Data from ESA publications (1989-2000) using bluegrass billbug data where timing of application was at egg lay to early egg hatch. 49

Ranked Efficacy of Billbug Insecticides (used as preventives) - 1989 – 2000a rate ave Insecticide lb.ai . /a. % control # tests 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 a Data from ESA publications (1989-2000) using bluegrass billbug data where timing of application was at egg lay to early egg hatch. 50

Ranked Efficacy of Billbug Insecticides (used as curatives) - 1989 – 2000a rate ave Insecticide lb.ai . /a. % control # tests Chlorpyrifos 1.0 40.3 1 (=Dursban) Permethrin 0.4 59.0 (=Astro) 0.8 38.3 Thiamethoxam 1.5 64.7 6 (= MACH2) 2.0 17.0 Deltamethrin 0.13 16.7 (=DeltaGard) Diazinon 4.0 65.6 5 Imidacloprid 0.3 (=Merit) Bifenthrin 0.1 67.0 (=Talstar) a Data from ESA publications (1989-2000) using bluegrass billbug data where timing of application was to control larvae. 51

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. Insect parasitic nematodes – work well if used correctly – fairly expensive compared to insecticides. 52

Occurrence of Target SF Insect Pests April May June July August Sept C G C G C G C G C G C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C BB/a C BB/a C BB/l C BB/l C BB/a C BB/a C BB/l-prv C BB/l-prv C CB/a C CB/a C CB/n C CB/n C CB/n&a C CB/a C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW

Occurrence of Target SF Insect Pests April May June July August Sept C G C G C G C G C G C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C BB/a C BB/a C BB/l C BB/l C BB/a C BB/a C BB/l-prv C BB/l-prv C CB/a C CB/a C CB/n C CB/n C CB/n&a C CB/a C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW ® controlled with CONSERVE

Occurrence of Target SF Insect Pests April May June July August Sept C G C G C G C G C G C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C BB/a C BB/a C BB/l C BB/l C BB/a C BB/a C BB/l-prv C BB/l-prv C CB/a C CB/a C CB/n C CB/n C CB/n&a C CB/a C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW ® controlled with MACH2 55

Occurrence of Target Lawn Insect Pests April May June July August Sept C G C G C G C G C G C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C G-prv C BB/a C BB/a C BB/l C BB/l C BB/a C BB/a C BB/l-prv C BB/l-prv C CB/a C CB/a C CB/n C CB/n C CB/n&a C CB/a C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C CB/n-sup C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW C SWW controlled with MERIT ® 56

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