ARS | Publication request: Mating Disruption of Oriental Beetle in Turfgrass

Submitted to: National Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: November 17, 2004
Publication Date: June 18, 2004
Citation: Koppenhofer, A., Polavarapu, S., Fuzy, E.M., Zhang, A., Behle, R.W., Dunlap, C.A., Ketner, K., Larsen, T. 2004. Mating disruption of oriental beetle in turfgrass [abstract]. National Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting. Paper No. 15319.

Technical Abstract: We are conducting research on mating disruption of the oriental beetle (OB), the major white grub species in turfgrass in New Jersey and surrounding areas. In 2002 and 2003, applications of a sprayable microencapsulated formulation of the OB sex pheromone (at 12.5 to 75 g ai/ha) about 1 week after beginning of the flight resulted in 70 to 74% reduction of OB larval populations. To achieve this level of suppression, a second application at the same rate had to be applied because captures of OB males in traps lured with OB sex pheromone indicated that the pheromone saturation of the treated areas had fallen below effective levels at 14 DAT. Shoes walked (1 DAT) through pheromone-treated areas (75 g ai/ha) became contaminated with pheromone and attracted high numbers of OB males. Another experiment showed that significant percentages of sprayed pheromone stayed attached to the grass foliage unless it was moved into the thatch and upper soil layers with 3- to 6-mm post-treatment irrigation. Data will be presented from the 2004 field season during which two new sprayable and granular formulations were tested (all at 1 x 25 g ai/ha) for OB suppression and shoe contamination.