In 2021, the entire Midwest experienced one the worst fall armyworm (Fig. 1A and B) outbreaks in decades, and for turfgrass professionals and enthusiasts it seems like we may be on the verge of another late-season outbreak. These seasonal, but sporadic insects started showing up at the end of August, and adults and egg masses…Read more about September 12, 2024: Fall Armyworms, Again?[Read More]
The entire Midwest just experienced one the worst fall armyworm (Fig. 1) outbreaks in decades, but for turfgrass professionals and enthusiasts, it’s not over yet. These seasonal, but sporadic insects made their appearance at the end of August, decimating lawns and other managed turfgrass. But, now that the damage is done, our focus shifts from…Read more about Fall Armyworms: What next?[Read More]
This publication provides turfgrass management professionals and property owners with information to help them (1) properly identify the most common billbug species with turfgrass in Indiana and adjacent states, (2) understand billbug biology, (3) recognize billbug damage, and (4) formulate safe and effective billbug management strategies.
This publication provides property owners and turfgrass management professionals with basic information to: (1) properly identify the most common turfgrass insect pests of Indiana and adjacent states, (2) recognize insect damage, (3) understand insect biology, and (4) formulate safe and effective pest management strategies.
The Purdue Turf Doctor app, a collaborative effort among Drs. Doug Richmond, Aaron Patton and Rick Latin, is the latest modern turfgrass management tool produced by the Purdue Turfgrass Science team. The app is designed to help homeowners and land managers diagnose and address turfgrass problems caused by a variety of factors including weeds, insects,…Read more about Purdue Launches Turf Diagnostic Mobile App[Read More]
This publication provides Indiana turfgrass management professionals and property owners with information to help them (1) properly identify the most common white grub species, (2) understand white grub biology, (3) recognize white grub damage, and (4) formulate safe and effective management strategies.
Doug Richmond Associate Professor and Entomology Extension Specialist Department of Entomology Purdue University Caterpillars are the larvae of moths and butterflies and several common species are capable of damaging turfgrass. This publication will help you detect and identify the most common caterpillars associated with turfgrass. Armyworms Armyworms are the immature stage (larva/caterpillar) of the several…Read more about Monitoring and Managing Caterpillars[Read More]
Green June beetles Cotinus nitida have been flying in many areas across the Midwest and although they are harmless, their sheer size can be very intimidating to folks who don’t recognize them. These large, attractive, emerald and copper colored beetles (Fig. 1) are one of several species of scarab beetles whose larvae are known as…Read more about What Was That? Flying Green June Beetles Will Get Your Attention[Read More]
This is the time of year when annual white grubs begin to infest turfgrass and, in the Midwest, we are blessed with an assortment of different annual white grub species. This group of insects produces one generation each year with the adults becoming active by early June. Adults lay eggs in turf and 1st instar…Read more about White Grub Season is Here[Read More]
We’ve been seeing a smattering of Japanese beetle adults in our traps for the last few weeks in West Lafayette, but it appears their numbers are starting to increase as we head toward the end of June. Expect to see emergence come into full swing over the next two weeks in this part of the…Read more about Japanese Beetle Adults Emerging[Read More]
Although reports of spring white grub damage have been relatively uncommon in Indiana in recent years, there have been a growing number of cases in the northeastern part of the state. The European chafer Rhizotrogus majalis Razoumowsky is apparently at the root of several reports of large scale and severe damage to turfgrass this spring….Read more about European Chafer Causing Serious Damage in Northeastern Indiana[Read More]
We recently discovered that the hunting billbug is capable of successfully overwintering in the larval stage as far north as West Lafayette Indiana. This insect is mainly a pest of warm-season turfgrasses such as Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass and has become a perennial problem in parts of the state where these grasses are cultured. Although we’ve…Read more about Hunting Billbug Larvae Overwintering in Indiana[Read More]
We are happy to announce two new tools give the latest information about two hot topics: emerald ash borer and pollinator safety. New Neonicotinoid Pollinator Website available for the Green Industry. Doug Richmond and I have developed a mobile friendly website to help you answer questions you may have about how the use of neonicotinoid…Read more about New Resources Available for Emerald Ash Borer and Pollinator Safety[Read More]
There appears to be a wide-spread outbreak of armyworms [Pseudaletia (=Mythimna) unipuncta (Haworth)] infesting residential turf across southern Indiana. These insects typically have 2 generations per year in this part of the country and we are in the midst of the 2nd generation of larvae. Adult armyworm moths lay their eggs in large masses and…Read more about Armyworms Invade Indiana[Read More]
Here we are in the second week of July – a time when conditions start to become difficult for cool-season grasses. Heat, drought and wear during this time of the season may all contribute to declining turfgrass quality. However, one of the most commonly overlooked reasons for declining turfgrass quality during this difficult time of…Read more about Billbugs Are Here![Read More]
The first Japanese beetles of the year were captured June 8 in West Lafayette. Emergence is now in full swing. This imported pest is common east of the Mississippi river and in the Mississippi river valley. Adults feed on more than 400 plant species including many common ornamental plants. The soil-dwelling larvae (grubs) feed on…Read more about Japanese Beetles are Upon Us[Read More]
Reports of spring white grub damage are relatively uncommon in most of the Midwest. However, the European chafer is a slightly different beast and seems to be more cold-hardy than other annual white grubs. This characteristic allows it to feed later into the fall and start feeding earlier in the spring compared to Japanese beetle…Read more about European Chafer is at the Root of Spring Grub Damage in Northern Indiana[Read More]
