Insects in Turf
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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.