|
INSECT PESTS OF TURF GRASS [continued]
|
|
SAP FEEDERS
|
Chinch Bug |
Hemiptera
Chinch Bugs
Both the nymphs and adults of these true bugs suck juices from
grass, causing dwarfing, yellowing and eventually death. Adults
are black with shiny white wings. They are about 1/3 inch long.
Chinch bugs have more than one generation per year and overwinter
as adults. They tend to group in one area and cause localized
injury particularly to St. Augustine grass. |
|
Homoptera
Greenbug
Greenbugs are light green aphids with a dark green stripe down
their backs. They are destructive pests of crops such as wheat,
and attack turf grass as well. There are a number of parasites and
predators which attack aphids, including ladybeetles. |
|
Rhodesgrass Mealybug
Until recently this insect was called the Rhodesgrass scale,
because the adults are purplish brown, round sacs covered with a
white, cottony material that look more like scales than mealybugs.
The immatures are regular mealybugs, however, with oval cream
colored bodies and three pairs of legs. Rhodesgrass mealybugs
infest bermudagrass in Arizona, and seem to cause more damage when
plants are under stress during hot, dry periods. |
Bermudagrass Mite |
Class Arachnida
Bermudagrass Mite
This mite (not an insect) is a serious pest of bermudagrass. It
feeds under the leaf sheaths. The first signs to appear are slight
yellowing of the leaf tips and twisting of the leaves. Adults are
elongated, and more wormlike in appearance than other mites. They
are almost microscopic, barely visible with a 10x or 20x lens. The
immatures are called nymphs and are basically miniature adults.
Mites complete development in 7-10 days, so can build up in great
numbers quickly. |
Harvester Ant |
NUISANCE PESTS
Hymenoptera
Ants
Adult ants have a constricted "waist" and their
antennae have a distinct bend or elbow. They are several species
which may be pests of turf, including the southern fire ant,
harvester ants, and wood ants. These ants do not eat grass, but
build their homes in the soil under the turf. The mounds they
produce may be unsightly, and may interfere with mowing. Some ants
may also bite or sting if their nest is disturbed. |
|
Ants are social insects that live in large groups.
Baits treated with insecticides often offer the best control
because the worker ants carry the poison down into the nest and
feed it to all the members of the colony. Homeowners may want to
try grinding up three or four orange peels and immediately pouring
the slurry down any entrance holes. This method works best on hot
summer days. |
False Chinch Bug |
Hemiptera
False Chinch Bugs
Adults are true bugs less than 1/4 inch long with light grayish
wings covering a dark brown to black body. Nymphs and adults feed
on weeds such as wild mustard, and may build up to high numbers in
wet years in the spring. When the wild vegetation dies in the
summer, the false chinch bugs may move into turf areas in "swarms."
To prevent false chinch bugs from becoming nuisance pests, control
all annual weeds. |
Earwig |
Dermaptera
Earwigs
Earwigs are elongate insects about 1 inch long that resemble
certain types of beetles, except for the presence of a pair of
forceps-like curved appendages on the rear of their abdomen (the
forceps are used for defense and prey handling, and do not harm
humans). The adults have short, hardened outer wings and
membranous inner wings that fold up under the outer wings. Earwigs
are active at night and hide during the day. They do not enter
ears, despite superstitions to the contrary. They are sometimes
pests of gardens, ornamentals, and small trees but it can also be
beneficial because they sometimes prey upon other insects. Earwigs
are common in wet areas, and one way to control them is to fix
water leaks, and allow areas to dry out between watering. |
Springtail |
Collembola
Springtails
Adults and immatures are generally less than 1/8 inch long and
are gray or brown in color. They may be distinguished from other
tiny insects because they have a projection or "tail"
that they lock under their abdomen and release to "spring." |
Springtails need high moisture in order to survive.
They may build up to extremely high numbers during wet years or in
irrigated areas. When the excess moisture dries up, they are
attracted to lights and also to moisture in turf, and they may
become severe nuisances on or near golf courses. Sometimes they
form swirling "rafts" in swimming pools after they fall
in looking for moisture. |
|
Springtail numbers will decrease through natural
mortality. Common household insecticides will also kill
springtails. |
Snail |
Non-Insects
Earthworms, Snails and Slugs
Several non-insect animals may also be pests of turf. Earthworms
push up piles of soil that has passed through their digestive
system (called "castings") to the surface. These
castings may cause problems on golf courses in the early morning
before the grass is mowed. Earthworms may be controlled using
carbamate insecticides. Otherwise these creatures are more
beneficial than harmful, because they aerate the soil by their
tunneling activity. |
|
Snails and slugs may also become locally abundant in
sites where irrigation is used frequently. Both feed on foliage at
night. A sure sign of slugs or snails is a shiny trail of mucus
left on leaves or the ground in the morning. Baits are available
for snail and slug control at most lawn and garden supply stores
(see also Pests of Gardens and Annual Flowers). |