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Title: A COMPARISON OF OVIPOSITION DEPTH IN TURF AND ORNAMENTAL PLANTINGS BY ORIENTAL BEETLE (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE)

Author
item Anderson, Betsy
item Reding, Michael - Mike

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2004
Publication Date: 11/15/2004
Citation: Anderson, B.A., Reding, M.E. 2004. A comparison of oviposition depth in turf and ornamental plantings by oriental beetle (coleoptera: scarabaeidae). Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting. Poster.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The oriental beetle (OB), Exomala (formerly Anomala) orientalis (Waterhouse), is an important grub pest of turfgrass and ornamental nursery crops in northeastern Ohio. Surface applications of imidacloprid applied before or during egg laying effectively control early instar OB grubs in turf. Evaluations of field grown woody ornamentals, treated with imidacloprid, were found to have healthy OB grubs throughout the root zones, many at depths greater than 32 cm. We hypothesized that oriental beetle lay eggs throughout plant root zones resulting in much greater oviposition depths in woody ornamentals than in turf. This led to a study to compare differences in oviposition depth in the soil by oriental beetle in turf and woody ornamentals. To quantify differences, cylinders were constructed from PVC pipe to simulate plant containers. The cylinders were 45 cm tall by 20 cm in diameter and made in 6 sections to be taken apart, each section 7.5 cm tall. Three treatments with 8 replications were planted with Cornus (Dogwood) (root systems measuring 30 to 43 cm long at time of planting), grass or no plant controls. Field soil from a nursery in northeastern Ohio was used as the planting medium. Mating pairs of adult beetles were caged on the cylinders 14 June 2004 and evaluated after 14 to 17 days. Eggs from the various depths were counted.