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DATE DUE DATE DUE DATE DUE 5108 K:IProj/Aoc&Pres/ClRC/Dateoua.indd PREDATION, SOIL MOISTURE AND MOWING HEIGHT AS POTENTIAL FACTORS IN THE SKEWED DISTRIBUTION OF ATAENI US SPERE T UL US (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE) ON GOLF COURSE FAIRWAYS AND ROUGHS By Young-Ki J o A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of MASTERS OF SCIENCE Department of Entomology 2000 ABSTRACT Predation, Soil Moisture and Mowing Height as Potential Factors in the Skewed Distribution of Ataenius spretulus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on Golf Course Fairways and Roughs By Young-Ki J o Ataenius spretulus (Haldeman) is more abundant and causes more damage to golf course fairways than to the roughs. This study focuses on how predation by carabids and staphylinids affects the distribution of A. spretulus grubs in the fairway and rough and how soil moisture and mowing height affect oviposition and colonization of A. spretulus adults in the fairway and rough. In initial tests, adults of 6 of the most abundant species of carabids and staphylinids found in turfgrass in Michigan were placed individually in small petri dishes with A. spretulus eggs or grubs. Consumption of eggs varied from 64 to 100% and consumption of larvae from 14 to 100% depending on the species being tested. Predation of A. spretulus larvae was investigated in field plots by introducing A. spretulus grubs and recovering them 1 wk later. In 4 separate trials more grubs were recovered from the fairway (73%) than the rough (56%) each time. In a growth chamber, A. spretulus adults were released into turf arenas consisting of fairway turf and rough turf placed into soil held at different moisture levels in different treatments. Mowing height did not affect colonization by adult beetles, but they preferred turf in moist soil Q 13% water by volume) to turf in dry soil (8-9%). Adult beetle preference for moist soil and predation by carabids and staphylinids may contribute to the skewed distribution of A. spretulus grubs towards golf course fairways, which tend to have higher soil moisture and lower predator activity than roughs. DEDICATION To Chookyung Jo and Youngsun Chun iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ v LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... vii Impact of Predation on the Skewed Distribution of Ataenius spretulus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on Golf Course Fairways and Roughs Abstract ............................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 2 Materials and Methods ..................................................................................... 3 Results .............................................................................................................. 8 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 11 Reference cited ................................................................................................. 19 Tables and Figures ........................................................................................... 25 Impact of Soil Moisture and Mowing Height on the Skewed Distribution of Ataenius spretulus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on Golf Course Fairways and Roughs Abstract ............................................................................................................ 40 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 41 Materials and Methods ..................................................................................... 42 Results .............................................................................................................. 46 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 48 Reference cited ................................................................................................. 52 Tables and Figures ........................................................................................... 57 APPENDIX 1: Record of Deposition of Voucher Specimens ...................................... 62 APPENDIX 1.1: Voucher Specimen Data .................................................................... 63 iv LIST OF TABLES Impact of Predation on the Skewed Distribution of Ataenius spretulus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on Golf Course Fairways and Roughs Table Page 1 . Schedule of fertilizer, herbicide and fungicide treatments applied to the annual bluegrass fairway and adjacent rough at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, 2000 ..................................................................................................... 25 Consumption of corn rootworm eggs and third instar A. spretulus by staphylinids and carabids found in turfgrass at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center ............................................................................................... 26 . Suitability of corn rootworm eggs compared with A. spretulus eggs for consumption by staphylinids and carabids found in turfgrass at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center ............................................................................... 27 Recovery of A. spretulus grubs in fairway and rough soil columns one wk after grubs were released at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center ............. 28 Proportion of A. spretulus grubs recovered 7 d after grubs were released at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, 2000 ...................................................... 29 Predacious insects in our experimental plots ................................................... 30 Statistics (P-value) testing the effects of block, time, boundary type and mowing height on the density of insects in predator-enhanced and predator- suppressed plots at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, 2000 ................. 31 Predators and A. spretulus grubs recovered from our research areas where the number of adult staphylinids and carabids were manipulated with different boundary types in the fairway and rough at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, 2000 ..................................................................................................... 32 Parameters of a multiple linear regression model with the independent variables (mowing height, adult carabid and adult staphylinid) and the dependant variable (A. spretulus grubs). For this linear model, 1'2 = 0.32, n = 24,F=3.l4 andP=0.048 .............................................................................. 33 Impact of Soil Moisture and Mowing Height on the Skewed Distribution of Ataem'us spretulus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on Golf Course Fairways and Roughs Table Page 1. Percentage of A. spretulus adult beetles recovered from the total number of released beetles ................................................................................................ 57 . Factorial ANOVA for testing the effects of time, block, soil moisture, and mowing height on the colonization of A. spretulus adults ............................... 58 . Recovery of A. spretulus eggs, first instars and adults from turf arenas introduced with A. spretulus adults collected from a golf course in Lansing, MI ..................................................................................................................... 59 vi LIST OF FIGURES Impact of Predation on the Skewed Distribution of Black Turf Ataenius, Ataenius spretulus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on Golf Course Fairways and Roughs Figure Page 1. Experimental block (18 by 18 m) of annual bluegrass fairway and its adjacent rough at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, MI ..................................... 34 2. Vertical cross-section of two types of boundaries around our plots. The 30°- boundary for a predator-enhanced plot (A) allowed predators to immigrate. The v-shape boundary for a predator-suppressed plot (B) interfered with the movement of predators .................................................................................... 35 3. Seasonal captures of Carabidae per pitfall trap per wk in the fairway and rough of control plots at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, MI, 2000 .......................................................................................................................... 36 4. Seasonal captures of Staphylinidae per pitfall trap per wk in the fairway and rough of control plots at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, MI, 2000 .......................................................................................................................... 37 5. Seasonal captures of Carabidae per pitfall trap per wk in the