Sunday, June 30, 2013

BTA

Black Turfgrass Ataenius

Before mowing on green.

All white grubs are similar in appearance with cream-colored, C-shaped bodies, reddish-brown heads and three pairs of short legs located immediately behind the head. When fully developed, they range from .25 to over 1.5 inches in length, depending on the species.Identifying the different white grub species is best accomplished by examining the arrangement of hairs and spines on the raster area, which is located on the underside of the terminal abdominal segment. These patterns can be readily distinguished using a 10X hand lens. Black turfgrass ataenius grubs can be is distinguished by their small size (only about .25 inch long when fully grown) and the presence of pad-like structures at the end of the abdomen.

When identifying white grubs, or any small insect for that matter, it helps to have a vivid imagination. Like searching the sky for various constellations, seeing all of the characteristic features can be difficult. The rastral pattern of black turfgrass ataenius grubs could also be described as a sideways capital letter B next to the anal slit or side-by-side rolling hills. Whichever you use to characterize the feature, they are surrounded by a random pattern of hairs. It’s always helpful to examine several insects to be sure of your identification.