in Turf

Pest Manager Training Albany Technical College February 26, 2019

Dr. James N. McCrimmon

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Where do Insects fit in?

 Organization of  5 Kingdoms living organisms: – Animalia – Kingdom  Phylum – Phylum – Arthropoda – Class – Nematoda – Order  Class – Family – Insecta – Genus  Order – Species – 7/32 are turf pests • Class ▫ Insecta  Chitinous exoskeleton  Three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen)  Three pairs of jointed legs  Antennae  Compound eyes  Two antennae Introduction to Biology

 We are fully immersed with insects – Over 1,000,000 insect species worldwide Introduction to Insect Biology

 An estimated 40 million insects for every acre of land  Live in all habitats except, ocean Introduction to Insect Biology

 Diversity/richness greatest in tropical climates  If global temperatures continue to rise, their population will grow and spread Introduction to Insect Biology

 Not all insects are pests; many are beneficial, for example, with the pollination of plants.  Other beneficial roles of insects include… – Pest predation – Recycling/decomposition – Population control Introduction to Insect Biology

 A few groups (Orders) account for most of the population. – Coleoptera (beetles) 35% – Hymenoptera (bees, ants and wasps) 25% – Diptera (flies) 12.5% – Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) 12.5% – Hemiperta (true bug) 10% – (grasshoppers and crickets) 2% – Others 3% Insect Identification

 Destructive Turfgrass Insects  7 Insecta Orders  Insecta  Orthoptera  Coleoptera  Lepidoptera  Hemiptera  Homoptera  Diptera  Hymenoptera Orthoptera

 Grasshoppers, locust, crickets, katydids, mantids, walkingsticks, cockroaches  Metamorphosis  Incomplete (simple)  Egg, nymph and adult

 Mouthparts  Chewing  Mandibles • Plant foliage

 Wings  Front wings (forewings)  Tegmina (leathery forewing)  Hindwings  Membranous wings that fold under the forewings like a fan Orthoptera

 Legs  Enlarged hind leg  Jumpers Orthoptera

 Legs   Shovel like front legs Orthoptera

 Destructive turfgrass insects in this order…  Mole cricket  Locust Mole Crickets

 Mole crickets  Tawny ( vicinus)  Southern ()  Short-winged (Scapteriscus abbreviatus)  Northern ( hexadactyla) Mole Crickets

Southern mole cricket Tawny mole cricket

Short-winged mole cricket Northern mole cricket  Mole crickets  Tawny (Scapteriscus vicinus)  Southern (Scapteriscus borellii)  Most destructive in the U.S.A  Introduced into U.S. 1900 • From South America Tawny mole cricket

Southern mole cricket Tawny

 Mole crickets  Tawny (Scapteriscus vicinus) Tawny

 Mole crickets  Tawny mole cricket may be host specific… Southern

 Mole crickets  Southern (Scapteriscus borellii) Southern

 Mole crickets  Southern Short-winged

 Mole crickets  Short-winged (Scapteriscus abbreviatus)  Incapable of flight  Localized populations • Southeastern Florida Northern

 Mole crickets  Northern () Mole Crickets

 Mole crickets  Preferred plants  Bermudagrass  Bahiagrass  St. Augustinegrass  Centipede Bermudagrass green

St. Augustinegrass  Mole crickets  Preferred soils  Sandy soil  Dry soil Life Cycle

 Mole crickets  Life cycle spent underground  Destructive stages: nymph and adult

Tawny nymphs Life Cycle

 Mole crickets  Tawny and Southern mole cricket life cycle

May/June Aug./Sept. Sep. – May

Nymph Adult Damage

 Mole crickets  Damage  Borrowing and tunneling  Feeding (herbivores)  Tawny  Short-winged  Northern  Mole crickets  Damage  Borrowing and tunneling  Southern • Carnivorous Predators of Mole Crickets

 Mole crickets  Damage  Multiplied by digging predators

Skunk damage  Mole crickets  Biological control  Crabronid wasp  Parasitic wasp  Mole crickets  Biological control  Crabronid wasp  Attacks Scapteriscus spp. • Tawny • Southern • Short-winged

 Introduced from Bolivia  Spreading across Florida  Mole crickets  Current range of the crabronid wasp  Mole crickets  Wild flower Spermacoce verticillata  Attracts crabronid wasp Mole Crickets Mole Crickets Coleoptera

 Beetles and weevils  Woodborers and Bark beetles  Metamorphosis  Complete  Egg, larva (grub) and adult (beetle)

 Mouthparts  Chewing  Mandibles  Weevil • Snout mouth

Weevil: snout mouth Coleoptera

 Diets  Herbivore  Eats plants

 Carnivore  Eats Herbivore: Japanese beetle  Predator  Scavenger Predator: tiger beetle  Omnivores  Eats plants and animals

Scavenger: carrion beetle Coleoptera

 Wings  Forewing  Elytra (hard covering, shell wing)  Hindwing  Membranous wings that fold under the forewings like a fan

 Legs  Clawed  Climbing  Running Coleoptera

 Male insects in this order…  Have decorative ornaments  Will defend their territory Coleoptera

 Destructive as…  Larva (grubs)  Live in soil  Feed on turfgrass roots

 Adults (beetles)  Live above ground  Feed on surrounding foliage Coleoptera

 Grub identification  Raster patterns  Grouping of definitively arranged hair, spines, and bare spaces on underside of last abdominal segment in front of anus.

June beetle Japanese beetle European chafer Asiatic garden beetle Coleoptera

 Destructive turfgrass insects in this order…

 Japanese beetle Asiatic garden beetle  European chafer  Bluegrass weevil  Garden beetle Japanese beetle  Oriental beetle  Billbugs (weevil)

Bluegrass weevil European chafer Lepidoptera

 Moths, skippers, and butterflies  Bagworm, corn earworm, clothes moth, and tent caterpillar  Some of the most beautiful species.  Some of the most important pests.  Metamorphosis Complete: Egg, larva (caterpillar) and adult (moth or butterfly) Lepidoptera

 Mouthparts  Chewing (leaves)  Mandibles  Larva  Sucking (nectar) - siphoning  Modified labium (coiled-tube)  Adult

 Wings  Scale covered  Held out, don’t fold up like Neoptera Lepidoptera

 Wings  Bright colors indicate that the insect is poisonous  Circular patterns to imitate eyes  Bright colors hidden under the forewing to frighten predators Lepidoptera

 Legs  Claw like  Climbers Lepidoptera

 Destructive turfgrass insects in this order…  Sod webworm Bronzed cutworm  Cutworm  Armyworms  Skippers

Fall armyworm Sod webworm Hemiptera

 True bugs

 Metamorphosis  Incomplete metamorphosis  Eggs, nymphs and adults

 Mouth  Piercing  Herbivores • Plant sap  Carnivores • Blood Hemiptera

 Wings  Held over the abdomen, folded  Forewings  Hemelytra (halfwing) • Hardened at the base  Hindwing  Membraeous Hemiptera

 Legs  Walking  Climbing

 Predators  Toe bitter Toe bitter Assassin bug  Assassin bug Hemiptera

 Destructive turfgrass insects in this order…  Chinch bugs  Big-eyed bugs feed on chinch bugs

Big-eyed bug Chinch bug Homoptera

 Aphids, scale, leafhoppers, cicadas, whiteflies, and spittlebugs  Very diverse group!

 Metamorphosis  Incomplete metamorphosis  Eggs or live born, nymphs and adults

 Mouthparts  Piercing-sucking  Plant sap Homoptera

 Phloem-feeding aphids  Honey dew aphid

 Insert stylets into the plant vascular tissue.

 The insect does not suck.

 Vascular tissue pushes the contents through the insect.

 Excess exudes out the anus.

 Attract ants that protect them.

 Sooty mold may grow on honeydew.

 Some aphids transmit viruses. Homoptera

 Legs  Walking  Climbing

Scale Mealy bug

Aphid Leafhopper Homoptera

 Destructive turfgrass insects in this order…  Mealy bug  Ground pearls  Scales  Leafhopper  Spittlebug Aphid

Leafhopper Spittlebug Homoptera

 Spittlebug  Produces a mass of frothy spittle  Prevents the eggs and nymphs from desiccation (drying out) Diptera

 True flies: horse flies, deer flies, midges, fruit flies, house flies, mosquitoes.  Metamorphosis  Complete metamorphosis  Eggs, larva (maggots), and adults

 Mouthparts  Piercing-sucking  Biting  Sponging Diptera

 Wings  Forewing  Membraneous  Hindwing  Haltere (modified wing)  Balancing organ Diptera

 Legs  Walking  Climbing Diptera

 Destructive turfgrass insects in this order…  Destructive stage March fly  Larva  Frit fly  European crane fly  March fly

European crane fly: Frit fly “leather jacket” Hymenoptera

 Ants, wasps, and bees

 Metamorphosis  Complete metamorphosis  Eggs, larva, and adults

 Mouth parts  Chewing and sucking  Biting  Plants  Animals  Plants and animals Hymenoptera

 Wings  Forewings  Membranous  Hindwings  Membranous  Forewing are larger than hind wings

 Some have no wings  Ants  Soldiers  Workers Hymenoptera

 Legs  Climbing  Walking Hymenoptera

 Destructive turfgrass insects in this order…  Fire Ants  Harvester ants

Fire ants  Biting insects in the landscape  Wasps  Bees  Ants Harvester ant Fire Ants

 Ants  Fire Ant (Solenopsis spp.)  Imported fire ant Fire Ant Introduction

 Ants  Fire Ants  Distribution  1918 • Mobile, AL Fire Ant Distribution

 Ants  Fire Ants  Distribution  Ants  Fire Ants  Distribution  Ants  Fire Ants  Distribution Fire Ant Distribution 2010

 Ants  Fire Ants  Distribution  2010 Future

 Ants  Fire Ants  Distribution  Ants  Fire Ants prefer…  Sunny locations  Dry soil  Short grass  USGA sand-based putting green  Ants  Fire Ants  Do not feed on turf  Disrupt the playing surface  Eye sore  Stinging/biting insect Hymenoptera

 Ants  Fire Ants eat  Scavenge  Insects  Seeds  Carrion Hymenoptera

 Ants  Fire Ants  The nest  2 ft nest  3-4 ft into the soil  100,000 to 500,000 workers  Winged adults  Egg-laying queen  Brood (larvae) Hymenoptera

 Ants  Fire Ants  A mature nest  2,000 new queens/year

 New colonies  Established in spring and summer  Fire ants • How a cast system starts  Winged female  Fertile female  Fertilized by winged male  Drones

 Fertilized female  Losses her wings  Digs a hole and starts colony  Fertilized Queen • Princesses  Fertile sisters (clones)  Make new colonies • Drones (males)  Make new colonies • Workers (females)  Sterile little ants • Soldiers (females)  Sterile big ants  Large mandibles  Queen can sense the population dynamics  Pheromones  Workers are low  Make more workers  Soldiers are low  Make more soldiers

 If the queen dies, her pheromones production stops  If a princess is around, she takes over  Hormones in larva change  Hatches into a fertile female Imported Fire Ants/Ants

Control Options ◦ Bait Treatments ◦ Mound Drench Treatments ◦ Dry Mound Treatments ◦ Broadcast Treatments Imported Fire Ants/Ants Imported Fire Ants/Ants Imported Fire Ants/Ants