Prosapia bicincta (Say), the twolined spittlebug, is a recognized economic pest of centipedegrass, Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack, coastal bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers, and other bermudagrass cultivars. Damage has been reported on other grasses such as panolagrass, Digitaria decumbens (Stent), and St. Augustinegrass, Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze. Adults are also known to cause economic damage on ornamental hollies, Illex spp (L.). There have been no reports of biocontrol agents of twolined spittlebugs. Hence, this laboratory study was undertaken to document predation of the twolined spittlebug by generalist predators found commonly in turf grass. The predators of interest were big-eyed bugs Geocoris spp. Say, red imported fire ants Solenopsis invincta Buren, wolf spiders Lycosa spp. Walckenaer, and carabid beetles Lebia spp. Say. The spittlebug was reared from egg to adult in environmental chambers maintained at 27 º C and 80 % RH. No- choice experiments were conducted with five spittlebug eggs or one-day old nymphs or adults in a petri dish (size 100mmx15mm) vented with a fine mesh. A stem of centipede grass provided sustenance for the spittlebugs during the experiments. The predators were starved for 3 days before placing in the petri dish along with the spittlebug. Controls with spittlebug and no predators were maintained for all experiments. Visual- count method was used to obtain results every hour. Data from the experiments were subjected to ANOVA to compare mortality between the various treatments. Results of the study will have practical implications for developing an IPM program for the management of twolined spittlebug.
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