Insects 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 Insect 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% – Orthoptera (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 Mole cricket Shovel like front legs Orthoptera
Destructive turfgrass insects in this order… Mole cricket Locust Mole Crickets
Mole crickets Tawny (Scapteriscus vicinus) Southern (Scapteriscus borellii) Short-winged (Scapteriscus abbreviatus) Northern (Neocurtilla 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 (Neocurtilla hexadactyla) 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 animals 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 animal 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