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ARS Home » Plains Area » El Reno, Oklahoma » Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center » Livestock, Forage and Pasture Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #379926

Research Project: Sustaining Southern Plains Landscapes through Improved Plant Genetics and Sound Forage-Livestock Production Systems

Location: Livestock, Forage and Pasture Management Research Unit

Title: A grass fly's [Conioscinella nuda (Diptera: Chloropidae)] preference among four native warm-season grasses

Author
item Springer, Timothy

Submitted to: Society of Range Management
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/2021
Publication Date: 2/15/2021
Citation: Springer, T.L. 2021. A grass fly's [Conioscinella nuda (Diptera: Chloropidae)] preference among four native warm-season grasses. Abstracts and Summaries of the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management. p. 124.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Adult flies of Conioscinella nuda (Adams) were collected from field plots of four native grass species, big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash], sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii Hack), and Indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash] to determine the insect’s preference among these species. The mean number of insects varied from 9.7 to 27.0 adults per 15 plants, and the order of preference was big bluestem, little bluestem, sand bluestem, and Indiangrass. Differences occurred among plant species for C. nuda preference (P < 0.05) where, big and little bluestem were preferred over sand bluestem and Indiangrass (P < 0.05). The observed differences among the grass species may be related to spikelet hairs. The spikelets of big bluestem and little bluestem are mostly glabrous compared to those of sand bluestem and Indiangrass which are covered with conspicuous hairs. Host plant resistance may offer the best approach for controlling C. nuda.