Copyright © 1979 Ohio Acad. Sci. 0030-0950/79/0006-0249/$1.50/0

THE ATAENIUS OF OHIO1-2 GERALD S. WEGNER and HARRY D. NIEMCZYK, Department of Entomology, Ohio Agri- cultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH 44691 Abstract. The species of Ataenius Harold (Coleoptera: : ) native to Ohio, Ataenius spretulus (Haldeman) (the black turfgrass ataenius), A. punctifrons Cartwright, A. abditus (Hald.), A. gracilis (Melsheimer), A. erratus Fall, A. imbricatus (Melsh.), A. strigatus (Say), and A. apicalis Hinton are distinguished with an illustrated key. Individual taxonomic description, Ohio distribution, bio- logical information and economic importance of A. spretulus and A. strigatus as turf grassfeeders are provided. OHIO J. SCI. 79(6): 249, 1979

The genus Ataenius Harold (Coleop- oblong in shape, ranging in length from tera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) contains 2.5 to 6.5 mm. Most members of this over 300 described species worldwide, 63 genus are black when fully sclerotized; of which are found in the continental however, some individuals may be red- United States, 8 being native to Ohio. dish brown, gray, or clay-colored. The Except for the fact that in temperate majority are shining and smooth tex- climates adults overwinter, little is known tured while only a small number are dull of the biology of these small scarabs or pubescent in appearance. All Ataenius (Cartwright 1974), as larvae and adults have a distinctly punctate head with very of some species feed entirely, or in part, distinct genae usually bent downward, on dung (Jerath 1960, Ritcher head narrower than pronotum, anterior 1966). Other species feed on plant roots clypeus visible from above, pronotum and soil constituents as larvae and on usually sparsely to moderately ciliate humus as adults (Hoffman 1935, Ka- laterally, elytra often with basal margina- wanishi et al 1974, Niemczyk and Dun- tion, protibiae with 3 teeth and anterior bar 1976). This latter group contains spur, protibiae with slanted anterior one recognized and one potential pest of margin, meso- and metatibiae uniformly cultured turfgrass. We have identified wider from base, with fringe of terminal the larva of Ataenius spretulus, the black setae, tarsi shorter than tibiae, and meso- turfgrass ataenius, as a major pest of cul- and metatarsi with first segment often tured turfgrass at golf courses and in as long as the following 3 segments residential lawns throughout the state. combined. Larvae of A. strigatus have been found with those of A. spretulus and, therefore, KEY TO THE ADULT ATAENIUS may be responsible for some damage to SPECIES OF OHIO turf. The adults of a number of Ataenius 1. Elytra having the color and texture of species are attracted to both incandescent clay A. imbricatus (Melsheimer) and ultraviolet light. Attempts at lab- 1.' Elytra shining 2 2. Clypeal margin strongly angulate on each oratory rearing of some species have met side of median emargination (fig. 2) 3 with some success (Hoffman 1935, Ritcher 2.' Clypeal margin broadly rounded each 1966, and Cartwright as cited by Jerath side of median emargination (fig. 3) 4 1960). 3. Dorsal surface smooth, shining A. punctifrons Cartwright of Adult Ataenius. Adult 3.' Dorsal surface sculptured with a network Ataenius (fig. 1) are typically elongate- of minute, shallow, contiguous depres- sions or fissures (fig. 4) 1Manuscript received 20 October 1978 and in A. abditus (Haldeman) revised form 29 Nov. 1978 (#78-63). 4. Punctures of head arranged in short lon- 2Approved by the Associate Director of the gitudinal lines; small, slender, elongate Ohio Agricultural Research and Development species; elytral intervals strongly convex Center as Journal Article No. 163-78. (fig. 5) A. gracilis (Melsheimer) 249 250 G. S. WEGNER AND H. D. NIEMCZYK Vol. 79

4.' Punctures of head simple 5 Clypeus with noticeable small transverse 5. Accessory spine of meso- and metatibiae wrinkles; metatibiae with terminal fringe closely adjacent to the short spur, with- of 5 setae together and another between out intervening setae of the terminal accessory spines and spurs; usually at fringe (fig. 6) A. erratus Fall. least a few coarse punctures coalescing in anterior angles of pronotum (figs. 10 and 5.' Accessory spine more removed from the 11) A. strigatus (Say) spurs, one of the setae of the terminal Clypeus with fine punctures and little or fringe intervening (fig. 7) 6 no transverse wrinkling; metatibial ter- 6. Posterior face of profemur sparsely minal fringe of 6 or 7 setae together and set with fine punctures and relatively another between accessory spines and smooth, rarely three or four shallow, spurs; apical declivity of elytra with in- coarse punctures (fig. 8) tervals eroded each side; metafemora A. spretulus (Haldeman) with row of 3 or 4 noticeable, coarse 6.' Posterior face of profemur set with setigerous punctures distally (figs. 12 coarse, deep punctures (fig. 9) 7 and 13) A. apicalis Hinton

FIGURE 1. Ataenius external anatomy: 1. clypeus, 2. clypeal margin, 3. median emargination, 4. greatest (middle) convexity of clypeus, 5. clypeal-frontal suture, 6. gena, 7. front (frons), 8. antenna, 9. eye, 10. basal margin of pronotum, 11. lateral margin of pronotum, 12. anterior angle of pronotum, 13. posterior angle of pronotum, 14. anterior disc of pronotum, 15. discal area of pronotum, 16. humerus, 17. shoulder of elytron, 18. elytral intervals, 19. sutural inter- vals of elytra, 20. lateral elytral intervals, 21. median convex carina of elytral interval, 22. elytral striae, 23. strial punctures, 24. outside slope of elytron, 25. apical declivity of elytra, 26. anterior spur of protibia, 27. teeth of protibia, 28. perimarginal groove of protibia, 29. meso- sternum, 30. mesosternal intercoxal carina, 31. metasternum, 32. metasternal disc, 33. median metasternal line, 34. metasternal triangle, 35. posterior marginal line of femur, 36. outer angle of tibia, 37. terminal (apical) tibial fringe, 38. accessory spine, 39. long spur, 40. short spur, 41. abdominal sternae, 42. fluting, 43. marginal line of abdominal sternum, 44. terminal sternum, 45. pygidium, 46. eroded area of pygidium, 47. apical lip of pygidium. Ohio J. Sci. ATAENIUS OF OHIO 251

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FIGURES 2-9 FIGURE 2. Head and pronotum of A. punctifrons; arrow indicates strongly angulate clypeal margin. FIGURE 3. Head and pronotum of A. spretulus; arrow indicates broadly rounded clypeal margin. FIGURE 4. Head and pronotum of A. abditus; arrow indicates minute fissure on magnified inset of pronotum. FIGURE 5. Head and pronotum of A. gracilis; arrow indicate rows of punctures on head. FIGURE 6. Generalized Ataenius metatibia+lst tarsal segment; accessory spine (a) closely adjacent to short spur (b). FIGURE 7. Generalized Ataenius meta- tibia+lst tarsal segment; one seta (a) of terminal fringe between accessory spine (b) and short spur (c). FIGURE 8. Prothoracic leg of A. spretulus; arrow indicates sparse, fine punctures on posterior face of profemur. FIGURE 9. Prothoracic leg of A. apicalis; arrow indicates coarse, deep punctures on posterior face of profemur. 252 G. S. WEGNER AND HARRY D. NIEMCZYK Vol. 79

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12 FIGURES 10-13 FIGURE 10. Head and pronotum of A . strigatus; note wrinkles on clypeus (a) and dense arrange- ment of coarse punctures at sides and base of pronotum (b). FIGURE 11. Metafemur+tibia+ + lst tarsal segment of A. strigatus; note tibial terminal fringe (a) of 5 setae together and an- other (b) between accessory spine and short spur. FIGURE 12. Head and pronotum of A. apicalis; note smooth clypeal surface (a) and even distribution of coarse punctures on sides and base of pronotum (b). FIGURE 13. Metafemur+tibia+lst tarsal segment of A. apicalis; note tibial terminal fringe (a) of 6 setae together and another (b) between accessory spine and short spur; also note row of coarse, setigerous punctures at distal portion of femur. Ohio I. vSci. ATAENIUS OF OHIO 253 Description of Species (condensed with, densely, uniformly punctate everywhere. permission from. Cartwright 1974). Elytra finely sculptured with minute, Ataenius imbricatus (Melsheimer). shallow, contiguous fissures. Metatibiac DESCRIPTION: Length 3.3 to 4.3 mm; with 8 to 10 terminal fimbriae, without width 1.(5 to 2.0 mm. Dull, grayish accessory spine. First tarsal segment brown to grayish black, legs dark brown; slightly shorter thati long spur and equal oblong, moderately convex; surface finely to following 3 segments combined. SEX sculptured with minute contiguous pits DIFFERENTIATION: No external dis- and. covered with short, stout setae, sug- tinction. OHIO COUNTY (CITY) gesting a clay-like appearance; setae of DISTRIBUTION: Clermont (Terrace the elytral intervals are closely spaced, in Park), Hocking, Lucas (Toledo), Ottawa longitudinal rows. Mcso- and meta- and Tuscarawas (Schoenbrun). BIO tibiae with five minute setae in terminal LOGICAL NOTES: We have captured fringe, accessory spine lacking. First adults in April on sticky traps placed, at farsal segment longer than long spur and the tree line of a wooded area bordering longer than following 3 segments com- Terrace Park Golf Course near the Little bined. The larva was described, by Miami River (Clermont County). Jerath (1 <)(>()). SEX DIFFERENTIA- TION: Pygidium longer in male than in Ataenius gracilis (Melsheimer). DE- female. OHIO COUNTY DISTRIBU- SCRIPTION: Length 2.S to 3.5 mm; TION: Clermont (Terrace Park), Hamil- width 1.0 to 1.3 mm. Elongate, parallel, ton (Cincinnati), Henry (Plolgate), only weakly convex, moderately shining, Washington (Marietta). BIOLOGICAL piceus; legs, anterior margin of clypeus, NOTES: We collected adults in black and pronotum frequently reddish. Head light traps on warm evenings in May with close, fine, punctures arranged in and August at the border of Hamilton short longitudinal or diagonal lines. and Clermont Counties. Pronotum densely punctate. Metatibiae without accessory spine; apical fringe of Ataenius punctifrons Cartwright. DE- 7 short, close, uniform setae and 3 longer SCRIPTION: Length 3.6 to 3.8 mm; setae on outer angle. First tarsal seg- width 1.5 mm. Elongate, parallel, dark ment longer than long spur, and longer reddish brown, legs and clypeal margin than following 3 segments combined. slightly lighter in color. Clypeal margin SEX DIFFERENTIATION: Pygidium finely, sharply dentate each side of longer in male than in female. OHIO median emargination. Punctures of up- COUNTY (CITY) DISTRIBUTION: per clypeus and frontal area dense; same Adams, Clermont (Terrace Park), Cuya- size as those of anterior pronotum. hoga (Cleveland), Hamilton (Cincin- Metatibial terminal fringe wTith 7 setae nati), and Washington. BIOLOGICAL and no accessory spine; first tarsal seg- NOTES: We collected adults in June and ment equal to following 3 segments com- July in black light traps located on bined and slightly shorter than long spur. Losantiville Golf Course and Hyde Park SEX DIFFERENTIATION: Male py- Golf Course in Hamilton County and on gidium longer and narrower than female's. Terrace Park Golf Course in Clermont OHIO DISTRIBUTION: The specific County. Overwintering adults were found and sole Ohio collection site of this in and beneath leaf litter at the tree line species was not recorded. of wooded areas adjacent to golf courses in the same 2 counties. Ataenius abditus (Haldeman). DE- SCRIPTION: Length 3.3 to 4.0 mm; Ataenius erralus Fall. DESCRIP- width 1.4 to 1.5 mm. Black or brownish TION: Length 4.4 to 5.9 mm; width 1.9 black, elongate-parallel, only moderately to 2.5 mm. Elongate, oblong, piceus, convex, weakly shining. Head moder- shining, more convex posteriorly. Cly- ately convex; clypeus broadly, shallowly peal surface finely, evenly punctate. emarginate with a small, sharp tooth Pronotum surface with mixed moderately each side of emargination. Lateral and coarse and very fine punctures through- basal margin of pronotum with widely out; lateral and basal margins of pro- spaced minute setae. Pronotum surface notum with fringe of moderately long 254 G. S. WEGNER AND HARRY D. NIEMCZYK Vol. 7<>

setae. Meso- and metafemora with 3 (Painesville), Lorain, Ottawa, Preble setae distally. Meso- and metatibiae (West Alexandria), Stark, Summit (Hud- with terminal fringe of 8 to 10 close, son), Washington, and Wayne (Wooster). moderately long setae; accessory spine BIOLOGICAL NOTES: We have cap- very short, close to spurs without inter- tured adults in the spring and fall on vening setae. Meso- and metatarsi longer sticky traps placed along the perimeters than tibiae; first tarsal segment longer of golf courses, around incadescent lamps than long spur, about equal to following and in black light traps on warm spring 3 segments combined. The larva was and summer evenings. We found over- described by Jerath (I960). SEX DIF- wintering adults beneath leaf litter and FERENTIATION: Male protibial spur soil at the perimeter of golf courses. curved, female spur straight; male ab- Ataenius strigatus (Say). DESCRIP- dominal sternae flattened medially, fe- TION: Length 3.6 to 5.5 mm; width 1.6 male sternae convex; male pygidium to 2.4 mm. Elongate-oblong, shining longer than female's. OHIO COUNTY black, legs and margin of clypeus reddish- DISTRIBUTION: Champaign. black, moderately convex. Anterior Ataenius spretulus (Haldeman) (black three-fourths of clypeal surface finely turf grass ataenius). DESCRIPTION: transversely wrinkled, very finely punc- Length 3.6 to 5.5 mm; width 1.7 to 2.4 tate above; front with transverse band of mm. Elongate-oblong, moderately con- moderate punctures separated by their vex, shining black, legs and clypeal mar- diameters. Pronotum with mixed very gin reddish. Head convex; clypeus fine and coarse punctures, the fine punc- feebly, transversely wrinkled anteriorly, tures everywhere evenly distributed, the finely, closely punctate above middle. coarse punctures finer over middle an- Pronotum with evenly spaced, minute terior disc, larger and denser outward to to fine punctures throughout and very sides and base where they may be nearly irregularly placed; scattered, coarse pun- contiguous. Posterior portions of pro- tures intermixed. Profemora smooth and femora closely, roughly punctate, the shining, with scattered, minute punc- punctures tending to form short, ir- tures. Meso- and metafemora smooth, regular transverse lines. Meso- and shining with scattered, very fine punc- metafemora shining, smooth, with scat- tures. Metatibiae with terminal fringe tered very fine punctures. Terminal of 5 setae, a strong accessory spine of fringe of metatibiae with 5 setae, a strong equal length, and an intervening seta accessory spine, and an intervening seta between the spine and spurs. First seg- between spine and spurs. First meta- ment of metatarsus longer than long spur, tarsal segment longer than long spur and and longer than following 3 tarsal seg- longer than following 3 segments com- ments combined. The larva was described bined. SEX DIFFERENTIATION: by Hoffman (1935) and Jerath (1960); Males have a group of setigerous punc- however, Hoffman's specimens were in- tures each side of metasternal midline on correctly determined to be Ataenius the metasternal disc; the corresponding cognatus. SEX DIFFERENTIATION: area is smooth in females. The male Males have a patch of close, setigerous pygidium is longer with the median part punctures each side of metasternal mid- of the apical lip wider than the female's. line on the metasternal disc; the cor- OHIO COUNTY (CITY) DISTRIBU- responding area is smooth in fem.ales. TION: Adams, Ashland (Ashland), Ath- The male fourth abdominal sternum is ens, Champaign, Clermont (Terrace shorter at the middle and the pygidium Park), Cuyahoga (Cleveland), Darke longer with much wider apical lip than (Greenville), Erie, Franklin (Columbus), in females. OHIO COUNTY (CITY) Hamilton (Cincinnati), Hardin (Ada), DISTRIBUTION: Adams, Ashtabula Henry (Holgate), Miami, Ottawa (East (Conneaut), Athens (Athens), Cham- Harbor State Park), Preble (West Alex- paign, Clermont (Terrace Park), Cuya- andria), Scioto (Portsmouth), Summit hoga (Cleveland), Darke, Erie, Franklin (Hudson), Washington (Marietta), and (Columbus), Hamilton (Cincinnati), Har- Wayne (Wooster). BIOLOGICAL din (Ada), Henry (Holgate), Lake NOTES: The larva of this species was Ohio J. Sci. ATAENIUS OF OHIO 255

described by Jerath (1960) as either mation originally contained in his taxonomic il keys and descriptions (Cartwright 1974). This Ataenius sp. #1 or #3". The root-feed- study was made possible by financial support ing larvae of A. strigatus were occasionally from the Musser International Turf grass Fel- found with those of A. spreiulus (i.e., in lowship, the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation, the the greens and fairways of golf courses); Golf Course Superintendents' Association of therefore, they may be associated with America, and G.C. Superintendents' Associa- some damage to cultivated turf grass. tions in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada. Adults have been collected in May and LITERATURE CITED June in black light traps placed on golf Cartwright, O. L. 1948 A taenius strigatus courses; overwintering adults have been (Say) and allied species in the United States found beneath leaf litter at the wooded (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Trans. Amer. Entomol. Soc. 74: 147-58. perimeter of golf courses. — 1974 A taenius, Aphotaenius, and Pse- udataenius of the United States and Canada A taenius apicalis Hinton. DESCRIP- (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). TION: Length 4.1 to 4.9 mm; width 1.7 Smithsonian Contrib. Zool. 154: 1-106. to 2.4 mm. Oblong, moderately convex, Fall, H. C. 1930 On A taenius strigatus (Say) shining black. Clypeus weakly trans- and allied species. J. N.Y. Entomol. Soc. 88: 93-108. versely wrinkled over anterior third, mid- Haldeman, S. D. 1848 Descriptions of North dle finely punctate. Pronotum with American Coleoptera: J. Acad. Nat. Sci. close, mixed punctures throughout, the Phila. 1848. 1: 95-110. larger punctures closer laterally. Elytral Hinton, H. E. 1937 Descriptions of new intervals noticeably eroded apically on American Ataenius, with notes on others. each side. Abdominal sterna with rather Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 20: 177-96. Hoffman, C. H. 1935 Biological notes on close, fine to moderate punctures from Ataenius cognatus Lee, a new pest of golf side to side, deeper at sides. Profemur greens in Minnesota (Scarabaeidae-Coleop- with large elongate punctures at extreme tera). J. Econ. Entomol. 28: 666-7. edge below the tibial insertion. Meta- Jerath, M. L. 1960 Notes on the larvae of femora with a row of 3 or 4 coarse seti- nine genera of Aphodiinae in the United States (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Proc. gerous punctures at knee. Metatibiae U. S. Nat. Mus. Ill (3425): 43-94. with strong accessory spine and a terminal Kawanishi, C. Y., C. M. Splittstoesser, H. fringe of 6 or 7 setae together and another Tashiro, and K. H. Steinkraus 1974 Ataenius between the accessory spine and spurs. spretulus, a potentially important turf pest, First segment of meso- and metatarsi and its associated milky disease bacterium. about one-fourth longer than long spur, Environ. Entomol. 3: 177-81. Melsheimer, F. E. 1845 (1844) Descriptions about the same length longer than the of new species of Coleoptera of the United following 3 segments combined. SEX States. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 2: DIFFERENTIATION: No external dis- 134-60. tinction. OHIO COUNTY (CITY) Niemczyk, H. D. and D. M. Dunbar 1976 Field observations, chemical control and con- DISTRIBUTION: Athens (Athens), tact toxicity experiments on Ataenius spre- Clermont (Terrace Park), Franklin and tulus (Haldeman), a grub pest of turfgrass. Scioto. BIOLOGICAL NOTES: Adults J. Econ. Entomol. 69: 345-8. have been collected in May and June in Ritcher, P. O. 1966 White grubs and their allies; a study of North American scarabaeoid black light traps located on Terrace Park larvae. Orgeon State Univ. Press, Corvallis. Golf Course near the Little Miami River 219 pp. (Clermont County). Say, T. 1823 Descriptions of coleopterous in- sects collected in the late expedition to the Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Oscar L. Rocky Mountains, performed by order of Mr. Cartwright, National Museum of Natural Calhoun, Secretary of War, under the com- History, the Smithsonian Institution, Wash- mand of Major Long. J. Acad. Nat. Sci. ington, D.C. for allowing us to condense infor- Phila. 3: 139-216.