Insects of Zoysiagrass Grass

Thatc h J. Bryan Unruh, Ph.D.

Adapted from Soil Common Turf Arthropod Pests Eileen A. Buss, Ph.D.

Arthropod Pest Complex in Caterpillars Florida Turf

Fall Armyworm Striped Grass Leaf/Surface Feeders Root Feeders Looper

„ Caterpillars „ Mole crickets

„ Greenbug aphids „ White grubs „ Red imported fire ants „ Ground pearls

Stem/Crown Feeders

„ Southern chinch bugs „ Twolined spittlebugs

„ Billbugs

„ Mites Tropical Sod Webworm Fall Armyworm Striped Grass Looper

Pest Moths

Tropical sod Fall armyworm Striped grass webworm looper

Wingspan: ½ to 1” ~ 1 ½” 1 ½”

1 Caterpillar IPM

„ Cultural Control: „ Avoid excessive turf fertilization, especially in late summer „ Mow at low height and destroy clippings to remove any eggs „ Biological Control: „ Various natural enemies (stink bugs, spiders, ants, birds, other animals) may help suppress caterpillars „ Chemical Control: „ Many broadspectrum insecticides are available and effective. Try more selective products like B.t. or Conserve (spinosad) first, if possible

Twolined Spittlebug Twolined Spittlebug IPM (Prosapia bicincta) „ Cultural Control: „ Feeds on many „ Avoid conditions that favor thatch buildbuild-- grasses, weeds, & up ornamentals „ Biological Control: „ No nymphal natural enemies; adults are „ Suck plant juices attacked by birds, spiders, assassin bugs, and a fungus „ Nymphs in spittle-spittle- „ Chemical Control: masses „ Few insecticides are effective „ Use enough water volume to penetrate „ 2 generations/year L. Williams thatch

Billbugs (Sphenophorus spp.) Billbug IPM

„ Cultural Control:

„ Keep turf fertilized and moist to survive damage „ Gray to black weevils „ Dethatch to reduce habitat „ Larvae are legless „ Biological Control: „ Entomopathogenic nematodes kill larvae and „ Hunting billbug has a Y- adults

shaped area on pronotum „ Chemical Control: with a parenthesis-parenthesis-likelike „ Preventive insecticides used against grubs marking on each side should work, but have been less effective in Florida, possibly because of poor timing „ Possibly 2+ generations „ Curative insecticides have had variable efficacy each year in Florida

2 Zoysiagrass Mite Mite IPM (Eriophyes zoysiae) „ Cultural Control:

„ Eriophyid mite „ Keep grass properly fertilized and irrigated

„ Hosts: Zoysia spp. „ Scalp turf & destroy clippings

„ Infests unexpp,anded leaves, „ Biological Control: leaf sheaths, collars, seed „ Natural enemies have not been studied L. J. Buss heads „ Chemical Control: „ Cultivar ‘Emerald’ is resistant, but ‘Belair’, „ Miticides Meyer’, and ‘El Toro’ are „ Use enough spray volume to penetrate susceptible thatch L. J. Buss

Tawny Mole Cricket (Scapteriscus vicinus)

„ Feed on roots at night Tawny mole cricket „ Adult males call females for 1 hr after sunset

„ EliMhEgg laying: March – June

„ Females make 33--55 egg Southern mole cricket chambers, each with ~40 eggs

„ Eggs hatch in ~3 weeks

„ Nymphs feed through summer, most are adults by October Shortwinged mole cricket

Southern Mole Cricket Shortwinged Mole Cricket (Scapteriscus borellii) (Scapteriscus abbreviatus)

„ Omnivorous „ Eat turfgrass roots „ Adult males call females „ Adults cannot fly for 1 hr after sunset „ Look like southern mole „ Egg laying: May –July– July crickets „ Eggs hatch in ~3~3--44 „ Males chirp at rather weeks than call for females „ Nymphs develop slowly; most overwinter as „ Most nymphs become nymphs adults by fall

3 IPM Program for Mole Crickets Chemical Control

„ Monitoring and correct identification Preventive: „ Cultural controls „Treat young nymphs in May/June, „ Avoid using lights at dusk/early night soon after egg hatch „ Many contact insecticides available „ Host plant resistance Curative: „ Biological control „Treat after damage occurs, usually „ Larra bicolor, Ormia depleta, insectinsect--parasiticparasitic nematodes summer, fall, or spring „ Baits „ Spot treatments

Scarab Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

„ Dung beetles and plant-plant-feedersfeeders „ 1400 North American species „ Scarabs vary in size, color, and habits, but adults can be recognized by their 33--segmented,segmented, clubbed antennae „ Larvae molt 3 times (have 3 instars)

EGG LARVA PUPA ADULT

Masked Chafers May/June Beetles (Phyllophaga spp.) Cyclocephala spp. „ 54 species in Florida „ Some of the most abundant ¾ P. bruneri, P. latifrons, P. quercus, and damaging grubs in U.S. P. uniformis „ 6 species in Florida: „ 1-3 year life cycle in U.S.; 1-2 C. borealis, C. lurida, C. miamiensis, generations/year in Florida C. parallela, C. puberula, C. seditiosa „ Adults are dark brown, often „ Adults are tan and about 5/8 hairy, and less than 1 inch long inches long. Mature grubs are ca. 1 inch long. „ Hosts: Grubs feed on roots of most grasses, pine seedlings. „ Hosts: Grubs feed on all warmwarm-- Lyle Buss, Univ. of FL Adults feed on tree leaves. Lyle Buss, Univ. of FL season grasses. Adults don’t eat.

4 Green June Beetle IPM Program for White Grubs (Cotinis nitida) „ Identify your pest species or genus

„ Determine how many grubs/sq. ft. are „ 1 year life cycle damaging

„ Grubs feed on organic „ Cultural controls „ Lyle Buss, Univ. of FL matter, often where organic Soil moisture, soil organic matter, lights, fertilizers are used overseed with endophytic ryegrass

„ Biological control „ Adults feed on overover--riperipe fruit in August in north Florida „ Wasps, nematodes, pathogens, animals „ Chemical control „ Grubs walk on their back „ Know when adult beetles fly; apply preventives during egg lay/hatch

Insecticide Costs OPTION RATE PRICE / 1,000 FT2

Azatrol 1.3 oz/1,000 $2.03 Conserve SC 1.2 oz/1,000 $3.36 DeltaGard SC 0.4 oz/1,000 $0.56 Dylox 80 3.75 oz/1,000 $3.54 Mach 2 1.5 oz/1000 $1.27 Merit 0.15 oz/1,000 $2.58 Orthene TT&O 0.9 oz/1,000 $0.80 Sevin SL 3.0 oz/1,000 $0.80 Talstar One 0.25 oz/1,000 $0.25

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