Scientific Notes 89

DAMAGE IN CENTIPEDE SOD ASSOCIATED WITH CRANE AND MARCH FLY LARVAE (DIPTERA: TIPULIDAE, BIBIONIDAE) IN MISSISSIPPI

DAVID W. HELD1 AND JON K. GELHAUS2 1Mississippi State University, Coastal Research & Extension Center 1815 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532 [email protected]

2 The Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103 [email protected]

Crane flies (Diptera: Tipulidae) are distributed species is known previously from Louisiana and worldwide, ranging from fresh and marine Florida (Oosterbroek 2003). aquatic habitats to drier terrestrial environments On 27-II-2004, live larvae and pupae (Tipul- (Alexander & Byers 1981). Tipulidae is the larg- idae and Bibionidae) were collected by Wayne est family in the Diptera; however, larvae have Wells from under centipede grass (Eremochloa been described for less than 10% of the named ophiuroides [Munro] Hack.) sod which was se- North American species (Thompson 1990). Lar- verely weakened from extensive root herbivory vae of a few species have been implicated and poor nutrition. The infested turf, growing on in damage to crops and grasslands in North a sod farm in Picayune, Pearl River County, MS, America (Hartman & Hynes 1977; Alexander & was breaking apart during harvesting, indicating Byers 1981; Alexander 1920). Larvae of the range damage to the roots. That same day, specimens crane fly, T. (Triplictipula) simplex Doane, a na- were submitted to the senior author for identifica- tive species, consume roots causing damage to un- tion. Most of the live immatures were placed into irrigated pastureland in the San Joaquin Valley, a mixture of moistened field soil and sand in the California (Hartman & Hynes 1977). Larvae of laboratory for rearing. A few representative lar- other native Tipula (Serratipula) species have vae and pupae were preserved in alcohol. been implicated in pasture damage (Alexander On 4-III-2004, the previously mentioned sod 1967; Gelhaus 1986). Two exotic species, the com- farm was surveyed by the senior author. This site mon and the European crane fly (T. oleracea L. contained three separate fields of centipede grass and T. paludosa Meigen, respectively) are de- where the root damage was such that they were structive pests of cool-season turfgrass in the Pa- deemed unharvestable by the sod producer. Be- cific Northwest, western New York (D. Peck, cause larvae of Tipulidae and Bibionidae are not Cornell University, personal communication), commonly associated with damage to warm sea- and maritime provinces of Canada (Jackson & son grasses, the site was first surveyed for damage Campbell 1975; Vittum et al. 1999; LaGasa & from more common pests such as mole crickets Antonelli 2000). (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae, Scapteriscus spp.), Larvae of march flies (Diptera: Bibionidae) are white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), or billbug herbivores and scavengers (Hardy 1981). Larvae larvae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). In each field, of several species have been reported to damage three 1-m2 areas of damaged turf were sampled agronomic crops, vegetables, and grasses (Hardy with a soap solution for disclosing mole crickets 1981; Darvas et al. 2000). In the southeastern and adult billbug (Vittum et al. 1999). Three soil United States, swarms of adult Plecia nearctica samples, consisting of 0.1-m2 plots, were exca- Hardy, or lovebugs, are abundant in the spring vated on each of three infested fields and the soil, and fall. Larvae of P. nearctica, however, are not a grass, and thatch examined for larvae. known pest of turfgrass. Disclosing samples yielded no mole crickets or On 13-I-2004, three larvae of the subgenus billbugs, and only immature flies were recovered Tipula (Triplicitipula) were collected from a from excavated samples. Spiny brown larvae (Bi- group of about 30 larvae crossing pavement adja- bionidae) formed aggregations (about 5-10 lar- cent to a bermudagrass home lawn in Saucier, vae) in, or just below, the thatch. Larvae in some Harrison County, MS. No damage to the adjacent aggregations appeared white, not light brown, grass was noted. At that same site on 31-I-2004, and appeared likely infected with an ento- adult T. (Triplicitipula) umbrosa Loew were col- mopathogen. Larger larvae and pupae (Tipul- lected at dusk and presumed to be conspecific idae) also were located in the thatch, but solitary. with the larvae collected earlier. Females were None of these larger larvae appeared infected. typically collected while at rest on a vertical sur- Both types of larvae and the Tipula pupae were face such as a building. Males were collected most collected for rearing. About half of the immatures often while copulating with females. This marks that were collected that day were packaged into the first record of this species in Mississippi; the loose, moist soil and shipped overnight to the lab-

90 Florida Entomologist 89(1) March 2006

oratory of JKG, The Academy of Natural Sciences, SUMMARY Philadelphia for rearing. The remaining imma- tures were confined with a core of grass in a Larvae of march and crane flies (Bibionidae, sealed plastic container and reared in the labora- Plecia sp. and Tipulidae, Tipula (Triplicitipula) tory at the Coastal Research & Extension Center, umbrosa Loew) were collected from beneath dam- Biloxi. Several crane flies emerged in early March aged, low maintenance centipede grass sod in Pic- from pupae at both laboratory locations and were ayune, Mississippi. Larvae of both species have confirmed by JKG to be Tipula umbrosa. not been associated previously with turf damage. All bibionid larvae at both locations died be- Larvae and adult T. umbrosa also were found as- fore eclosion. Cadavers were firm but within a few sociated with turf in a residential landscape in days became enveloped in a white fungal growth, Saucier, MS. This is the first record of T. umbrosa presumably the same pathogen noted in the field. for Mississippi and a new record of larval habitat. A fungus from these cadavers was isolated by Dr. Charlotte Nielsen (Cornell University) and REFERENCES CITED identified by Dr. Richard Humber (USDA, ARS, Ithaca, NY), as Evlachovaea sp. Species identifi- ALEXANDER, C. P. 1920. The Crane of New York, Part II. Biology and Phylogeny. Cornell Univ. Agr. cation of these larvae was not possible without an Exp. Sta., Mem. 38: 691-1133 adult specimen. However, JKG could identify ALEXANDER, C. P. 1967. The Crane Flies of California. them as members of the genus Plecia, likely lar- Bull. Calif. Survey 8: 1-269 vae of the lovebug, P. nearctica, which is abun- ALEXANDER, C. P., AND G. W. BYERS. 1981. Tipulidae, dant in Mississippi in the spring and fall. pp. 153-190 In J. F. McAlpine, B. V. Peterson, G. E. This is the first record of T. umbrosa in Missis- Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth, and D. M. sippi and the first habitat record for larvae of this Wood [eds.], Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Vol. 1. Ag- species. Closely related adults and larvae (Triplic- riculture Canada Research Branch Monograph 27. itipula) in the eastern United States may also de- DARVAS, B. M. SKUHRAVÁ, AND A. ANDERSEN. 2000. Ag- ricultural dipteran pests of the Palaearctic region, velop in grassy areas, particularly at edges of Chapter 1.15 In L. Papp and B. Darvas [eds.], Con- woodlands; the more distantly related species in tributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera, Vol. 1. the western United States include those that are Science Herald, Budapest. the pest “range crane flies” (Gelhaus 1986). Al- GELHAUS, J. K. 1986. Larvae of the crane fly genus Tip- though not previously recorded as pests of turf- ula in North America (Diptera: Tipulidae) Univ. grass, we document that larvae of both T. umbrosa Kansas Science Bull. 53(3): 121-182. and Plecia sp. can be associated with damage to HARDY, D. E. 1981. Bibionidae, pp. 217-222 In J. F. warm season grasses, especially those with already McAlpine, B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, weakened root systems or under nutrient stress. J. R. Vockeroth, and D. M. Wood [eds.], Manual of Ne- arctic Diptera. Vol. 1. Agriculture Canada Research We thank Billy Joe Lee, Paul Jeaufreau, and Branch Monograph 27. Wayne Wells (Mississippi State University, De- HARTMAN, M. J., AND C. D. HYNES. 1977. Biology of the partment of Plant and Soil Sciences) for collecting range crane fly Tipula simplex Doane (Diptera: specimens and assistance with the site survey. Tipulidae). Pan Pac Entomol 53:118-123. Identifications of all larvae and adults were made JACKSON, D. M., AND R. L. CAMPBELL. 1975. Biology of by JKG. We thank Ann Hajek, Cornell University, the European , Tipula paludosa Meigen, in for arranging for the identification of the fungal Western Washington (Tipulidae; Diptera). Wash. pathogen, and George Byers, University of Kan- State. Univ Tech. Bull. 81. sas, for comparing specimens of T. umbrosa with LAGASA, E. H., AND A. L. ANTONELLI. 2000. 1999 West- ern Washington Tipula oleracea Survey (Diptera: those he identified from Louisiana. JKG also con- Tipulidae). Wash. State Dep Agric. Pub no. 034. sulted an unpublished manuscript by Steven OOSTERBROEK, P. 2003. Catalogue of the Craneflies of Teale reviewing the eastern Nearctic species of the World. Database version Oct 2003 Zoological Mu- Tipula (Triplicitipula) for help in identifying seum, University of Amsterdam (18,092 records) T. umbrosa. Voucher specimens of T. umbrosa and (distributed by the author). Plecia sp. are on deposit in the collection of The THOMPSON, C. F. 1990. Biosystemic information: Dip- Academy of Natural Sciences and in the Missis- terists ride the third wave, p. 179-201 In M. Koszt- sippi Entomology Museum, Starkville. Richard arab and C. W. Schaefer [eds.], Systematics of the Brown, Mark Woodrey (Mississippi State Univer- North American and Arachnids: Status and Needs. Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station In- sity), and David Boyd (USDA-ARS) provided formation Series 90-1. helpful comments on an earlier draft of this VITTUM, P. J., M. G. VILLANI, AND H. TASHIRO. 1999. manuscript. This paper is No. J-10723 of the Mis- Turfgrass Insects of the United States and Canada, sissippi State Agricultural Experiment Station. 2nd ed. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.