The sand chafer (Strigoderma arboricola) produces one generation per year in Nebraska. Little information exists about the biology and ecology of the sand chafer feeding in agricultural crops, however the grub stage can cause economic damage to corn and potatoes by feeding on the plants' root hairs and following vine kill of potatoes it causes direct economic damage when larvae feed on the tubers. Pre-emergent insecticide does not provide control for sand chafer larvae because larvae feed very little in the spring; post-emergent insecticides have not been effective or are not registered for potato. We monitored sand chafer emergence during 2000- 2002 using floral lure traps. In 2002 we compared floral lure traps with three other trap types. Adult beetles were collected daily from mid-June through July and in the laboratory we quantified the sex ratio of beetles collected. Our samples revealed a female-biased sex ratio with peak emergence during about seven days in late June. Floral traps were the most effective monitoring method. Male and female sand chafer emerged concurrently. The significance of these results is improved management by synchronizing the timing of pesticide application with adult S. arboricola female activity.
Species 1: Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Strigoderma arbicola (sand chafer, false Japanese beetle)
Keywords: Solanum
Back to Display Presentations, Section F. Crop Protection Entomology
Back to Posters
Back to The 2002 ESA Annual Meeting and Exhibition