Ecology, Taxonomy, and Pest Management of Billbugs (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Orchardgrass of Virginia

Orchardgrass, Dactylis glomerata L. (Cyperales: Poaceae), is a cool season grass, cultivated throughout the United States as a high-value forage crop. Larval feeding by two weevil species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the bluegrass billbug, Sphenophorus parvulus Gyllenhal, and the hunting billbug, Sphenophorus venatus vestitus Chittenden, has caused widespread economic damage to orchardgrass stands in Virginia. The cryptic feeding habits of these species, combined with a lack of effective systemic insecticides, make billbug control extremely difficult in orchardgrass. Here, we present an overview of the biology of orchardgrass and its associated billbug pests, and review the control options for these pests.