Turfgrass
Guides
Agonum aeruginosum
Agonum aeruginosum is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It occurs in North America, with records from Canada and the United States. As a member of the genus Agonum, it belongs to a group of small to medium-sized carabid beetles commonly found in moist habitats. The species name "aeruginosum" refers to a copper-green or verdigris coloration, though specific color details for this species are not well documented in available sources.
Agonum elongatulum
Agonum elongatulum is a ground beetle in the family Carabidae, subfamily Platyninae. It occurs in North America, with records from Canada and the United States. Like other members of the genus Agonum, it is a predatory beetle. The species has been documented in turfgrass ecosystems, where it functions as part of the predatory arthropod community.
Agonum ferruginosum
Agonum ferruginosum is a ground beetle in the subfamily Platyninae, described by Dejean in 1828. It occurs in North America with records from the United States, Canada, and Alaska. In central Alberta marshes, it is one of the most abundant carabid species in emergent vegetation of flooded zones, where it exhibits habitat partitioning with sympatric congeners. The species is nocturnal and shows earlier reproduction and teneral adult emergence compared to some co-occurring Agonum species.
Agonum limbatum
Agonum limbatum is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is native to North America, with confirmed records from British Columbia, Canada. The genus Agonum contains numerous small to medium-sized predatory beetles commonly found in moist habitats. A. limbatum has been documented in turfgrass ecosystems where it functions as a predator of other arthropods.
Agonum placidum
Agonum placidum is a black ground beetle in the Platyninae subfamily. It inhabits woodlands, thickets, and open fields across southern Canada and the northeastern United States. The species has been documented in turfgrass environments where it functions as a generalist predator.
Agonum suturale
sutured harp ground beetle
Agonum suturale is a species of ground beetle in the subfamily Platyninae. It is found in the western half of North America, including Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The species exhibits metallic coloration and is of moderate size for the genus. It is known to occur in turfgrass habitats where it functions as a predator.
Ataenius alternatus
Ataenius alternatus is a small aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Melsheimer in 1845. The species occurs across the southeastern United States and into Mexico. Like other members of the genus Ataenius, it is associated with decomposing organic matter and soil habitats. It is one of numerous Ataenius species found in North American turfgrass and agricultural systems.
Ataenius ovatulus
Ataenius ovatulus is a small aphodiine dung beetle described by Horn in 1871. It is native to the eastern and central United States, where it inhabits grassland and turfgrass environments. The species is part of a genus whose members are frequently associated with soil and thatch layers in managed grass systems.
Ataenius picinus
Pitchy Scarab
Ataenius picinus, known as the pitchy scarab, is a small aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. The species has a remarkably broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents including North America, Central America, South America, Australia, and various Pacific islands. As a member of the Aphodiinae subfamily, it belongs to a group commonly referred to as small dung beetles or aphodiines, which typically inhabit decomposing organic matter. The specific epithet "picinus" refers to its pitch-black or dark coloration.
Blissus insularis
Southern Chinch Bug
Blissus insularis, the southern chinch bug, is a true bug in the family Blissidae that is a major pest of St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum). It is native to North America and has been introduced to Oceania, including Hawaii. The species harbors specialized midgut crypts that host dense populations of Burkholderia bacterial symbionts, which are essential for host fitness and development. It is economically significant as a turfgrass pest, causing damage through piercing-sucking feeding that leads to yellowing and death of grass patches.
Crambus
sod webworm moth, crambid snout moth
Crambus is a genus of approximately 155 species of crambid moths distributed globally. Adults are small snout moths with elongated labial palps, while larvae are known as sod webworms—significant pests of turfgrass and pasture grasses. The genus exhibits considerable variation in life history strategies, with some species bivoltine and others univoltine. Larval feeding damage is most pronounced during drought conditions and in closely mown turf.
Cyclocephala borealis
Northern Masked Chafer
Cyclocephala borealis is a scarab beetle native to North America and a significant pest of turfgrass and cereal crops. Adults are small, dull yellow-brown beetles with darker facial markings and hairy wing covers. The species has a one-year life cycle with adults emerging in mid-June. Unlike many scarab beetles, adults do not feed; all damage is caused by root-feeding larvae (white grubs). The species is recognized as edible to humans.
Dryophthorinae
Dryophthorinae is a subfamily of weevils (Curculionidae) comprising approximately 1,200 species in 153 genera and ten tribes. The subfamily includes numerous economically significant agricultural pests, particularly of palms, bananas, rice, maize, sugarcane, and bromeliads. Many species are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, with several having achieved global distributions through international trade in ornamental and agricultural plants. The taxonomic status of Dryophthorinae remains contested; while traditionally treated as a subfamily, at least one major revision has elevated it to family rank as Dryophthoridae.
Fissicrambus mutabilis
Changeable Grass-veneer, Striped Sod Webworm
Fissicrambus mutabilis, known as the changeable grass-veneer or striped sod webworm, is a crambid moth whose larvae are significant agricultural and turfgrass pests. The species ranges across eastern North America from Quebec to Florida and west to Texas and Illinois. Larvae feed on the roots and foliage of grasses, causing damage to lawns, golf courses, wheat fields, and corn crops.
Herpetogramma
grass webworms, sod webworms
Herpetogramma is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae, comprising approximately 106 species distributed across North America, Eurasia, Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America. Larvae of most species are associated with grasses and related plants, with several species recognized as agricultural or turf pests. The genus was established by Julius Lederer in 1863.
Lasius neoniger
turfgrass ant, Labour day ant, cornfield ant, nuisance ant
Lasius neoniger is a small ant species native to North America, most abundant in the eastern United States and Canada. It is notable for its polydomous colony structure with multiple nest entrances, strong worker fidelity to specific entrances, and seasonal territorial expansion correlated with foraging activity. The species is a known host for the parasitoid wasp Pseudometagea schwarzii and has been documented engaging in competitive confrontations with imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta).
Neoscapteriscus vicinus
tawny mole cricket
Neoscapteriscus vicinus, the tawny mole cricket, is a burrowing orthopteran native to South America that has become established in the southeastern United States since its introduction around 1900. The species was reclassified from Scapteriscus to the new genus Neoscapteriscus in 2015 based on morphological differences. It is a significant agricultural and turf pest that damages plants through root feeding and tunneling activities.
Sphenophorus
billbugs
Sphenophorus is a large genus of weevils commonly known as billbugs, containing approximately 278 species. Several species are significant agricultural pests, particularly of turfgrass, corn, and orchardgrass. The genus is taxonomically challenging due to morphological similarity among species, especially at larval stages. Research has focused on developing molecular identification tools to distinguish species and understand their variable seasonal biology across regions.
Sphenophorus aequalis ochreus
clay-colored billbug
Sphenophorus aequalis ochreus is a subspecies of the clay-colored billbug, a weevil in the family Curculionidae. Billbugs are significant turfgrass and agricultural pests whose larvae bore into plant stems, roots, and crowns. This subspecies has been documented in association with saltmarsh bulrush stands near alkaline lake margins in New Mexico, where adults were observed walking, mating, and burrowing into soil at the base of plants. The species complex presents identification challenges due to morphological similarities among related billbug taxa.
Sphenophorus cicatristriatus
Rocky Mountain billbug, Denver billbug
Sphenophorus cicatristriatus, commonly known as the Rocky Mountain billbug or Denver billbug, is a weevil species in the family Dryophthoridae. It is one of the largest billbug species affecting turfgrass in North America, with adults measuring 10–12 mm in length. The species occurs in the western United States and Canada, particularly in the Rocky Mountain region and Intermountain West. Like other billbugs, it damages turfgrass through larval feeding on roots and crowns, as well as adult feeding on leaves. It is considered a significant pest of turfgrass in its range.
Sphenophorus graminis
Sphenophorus graminis is a species of weevil (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) found in North America. It is one of multiple billbug species within the genus Sphenophorus, a group of weevils that develop within plant stems and roots. Like related billbug species, adults and larvae feed on grasses, though specific details of its biology and host associations are not well documented in available sources.
Sphenophorus venatus vestitus
Hunting Billbug
Sphenophorus venatus vestitus, commonly known as the hunting billbug, is a subspecies of weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is a significant pest of zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) and other turfgrass systems. Adults are medium-sized weevils, measuring 7-9 mm in length, and can be distinguished from related billbug species by size and morphological features. The species has a documented distribution across North America, Middle America, and parts of Europe including Spain and Corsica.
Sphenophorus zeae
Timothy billbug
Sphenophorus zeae, commonly known as the Timothy billbug, is a true weevil species in the family Dryophthoridae. It is native to North America, with documented occurrences in Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario) and the United States. As a member of the genus Sphenophorus, it shares the characteristic billbug morphology and life history involving larval development within plant stems and roots. The species is associated with grasses, including timothy (Phleum pratense), which provides its common name.
Tiphia
Tiphia is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Tiphiidae. Species in this genus are specialized ectoparasitoids of scarab beetle larvae (white grubs) that inhabit soil. The genus includes notable biological control agents such as Tiphia vernalis, which was introduced to the United States from Asia in 1925 to manage Japanese beetle populations.