Variation in the laboratory susceptibility of turf-infesting white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to biological, biorational and chemical control products

Abstract

The magnitude of variation in susceptibility supports the idea that a single product will not reliably suppress populations of all taxa, and highlights the need for pest management practitioners to identify white grub species before intervention. This differential susceptibility could have broader consequences for grub management if a numerically dominant target species is more completely suppressed than a co-occurring species.

Imidacloprid as a contact arrestant for larvae of the European chafer, Amphimallon majale

“…The species occurs from the northeast United States west to Michigan, with a disjunct population now established in British Columbia . Compared with the three other major species of turf‐infesting white grubs in the northeast United States, Asiatic garden beetle [ Maladera castanea (Arrow)], Japanese beetle and oriental beetle [ Anomala orientalis (Waterhouse)], control of A. majale has proven to be difficult as it is less susceptible to insecticidal controls and to environmental stressors such as drought . Behavior modifications due to insecticide exposure may help to explain the decreased ability for control of A. majale .…”