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Scarab damage to grass and clover as influenced by depth of feeding

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

R. L. Davison  and
R. J. Roberts
R. L. Davison
Affiliation:
Divisions of Plant Industry and Entomology, C.S.I.R.O., Armidale, N.S.W., Australia
R. J. Roberts
Affiliation:
Divisions of Plant Industry and Entomology, C.S.I.R.O., Armidale, N.S.W., Australia
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Extract

Third-instar larvae of Rhopaea morbillosa Blkb. (Melolonthinae) were maintained at fixed depths between wire-mesh screens in earthenware pots during a 12-week factorial experiment designed to study the relationship between depths of feeding and damage to roots and foliage yield of Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens under two soil-moisture treatments (10% and 20%), with and without fertilisers.

Depth of feeding had a highly significant effect on relative root damage and foliage yield, and at all depths (18, 14, 12, 1, 2, and 4 in.) significantly greater root damage occurred under conditions more favourable for pasture growth.

Ryegrass was deeper rooted and suffered more damage than clover. The degree of non-linearity of root distribution with depth affected damage to roots at all depths so that species in mixed swards should suffer damage in proportion to their deep-rootedness.

It is clear that depth of feeding can confound experimental studies of damage by scarab larvae, and in the field it will influence the damage caused to pastures.

Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 58 , Issue 3 , February 1969 , pp. 559 - 566
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1969

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