Premium
Feeding by Japanese Beetle and Southern Masked Chafer Grubs on Lawn Weeds
Author(s) -
Crutchfield Berry A.,
Potter Daniel A.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1995.0011183x003500060028x
Subject(s) - biology , dandelion , poa pratensis , trifolium repens , weed , agronomy , taraxacum officinale , poa annua , scarabaeidae , lawn , digitaria sanguinalis , popillia , japanese beetle , red clover , botany , poaceae , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , traditional chinese medicine
Root‐feeding white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are among the most injurious insect pests of cool‐season turfgrasses; however, little is known about the influence of common lawn weeds on white grub populations. Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the suitability of six weed species and one turfgrass including white clover ( Trifolium repens L.), red clover ( T. pratense L.), large crabgrass [ Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.], annual bluegrass ( Poa annua L.), buckhorn plantain ( Plantago lanceolata L.), dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale Weber), and Kentucky bluegrass ( Poa pratensis L.) as food for grubs of the Japanese beetle ( Popillia japonica Newman) and southern masked chafer ( Cyclocephala lurida Bland). Third instars of both species fed upon and reduced root biomass of all weeds tested, and in some cases, reduced foliage yields as well. Survival of both grub species was as high, or higher, on most weeds as on Kentucky bluegrass. Dandelion and white clover appear to be particularly poor hosts for P. japonica and C. lurida , respectively.