Title: Biology of the Billbug Sphenophorus venatus confluens, a New Pest of Orchardgrass12
Abstract:A detailed study of the seasonal cycle of Sphenophorus venatus confluents Chittenden, a new pest of orchard grass, was conducted at Corvallis, Oregon, in 1967-68. Over-wintering adults began to feed i...A detailed study of the seasonal cycle of Sphenophorus venatus confluents Chittenden, a new pest of orchard grass, was conducted at Corvallis, Oregon, in 1967-68. Over-wintering adults began to feed in March. Mating and oviposition occurred throughout May, and by mid-June large numbers of eggs had been deposited in the stems and on the leaf sheaths of the orchard grass. The young larvae fed inside the stems or on the leaves as they worked their way down the roots where the larval stage was completed. Pupation occurred the crowns of orchard grass, and by October the majority of billbugs were adults. Feeding damage by early-instars larvae had little or no effect on the yield of the current year’s seed crop, since the orchard grass was near maturity by July. However, larval feeding on the roots during July and August reduced the yields the following year. Currently, S. v. confluents is an economic pest only in orchard grass, although bent grass and bluegrass are satisfactory hosts.Read More
Publication Year: 1969
Publication Date: 1969-08-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 7
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