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Article
Biology and Management of Billbugs (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Turfgrass
Journal of Integrated Pest Management
  • Madeleine Dupuy, Utah State University
  • Ricardo A. Ramirez, Utah State University
Document Type
Article
Publisher
Entomological Society of America/Oxford Journals
Publication Date
4-1-2016
Disciplines
Abstract

Billbugs (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Sphenophorus spp.) are a complex of weevil pests affecting turfgrass throughout the United States. Billbug larvae cause damage by feeding in stems, on roots, and on the crowns of turf, causing severe discoloration and eventual plant death. Monitoring efforts have focused on nondestructive pitfall sampling of ground-active billbug adults and on destructive sampling using soil cores for larval stages in the soil. Given the cryptic nature of the susceptible larval stages, billbugs are typically managed by preventive applications of long-residual, systemic insecticides, including neonicotinoids and anthranilic diamides. Despite knowledge of effective management practices including pest-resistant turf varieties, irrigation management, and microbial controls that contribute to an IPM approach, billbug management continues to rely heavily on prophylactic synthetic insecticides. This review will summarize the identification and biology of billbugs and strategies for their management.

Citation Information
Madeleine Dupuy and Ricardo A. Ramirez. "Biology and Management of Billbugs (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Turfgrass" Journal of Integrated Pest Management Vol. 7 Iss. 1 (2016) p. 1 - 10
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/ricardo_ramirez/47/