UPDATE August 29th, 2024: Annual bluegrass weevil has now been found on BENTGRASS at a course in southeastern Wisconsin. These ABW adults likely traveled north from Chicago, where ABW has been confirmed at 9 courses on the north side of the city.

UPDATE August 28th, 2024: Annual bluegrass weevil has been found at 2 additional courses in central WI. Both courses are within 30 miles of the original ABW identification in 2020.

Annual bluegrass weevil has been found in Wisconsin

In June 2020 we were contacted about a potential annual bluegrass weevil (ABW) infestation at a golf course in central Wisconsin. The insects were confirmed as annual bluegrass weevil on July 1^st after specimens were sent to both PJ Liesch at the University of Wisconsin Insect Diagnostic Lab and Dr. Ben McGraw at Penn State University. We believe the annual bluegrass weevil was transported to central Wisconsin on bentgrass sod purchased from the eastern part of the country and installed 7 years ago. ABW was confirmed at two additional locations near the first course in August of 2024.

What is annual bluegrass weevil?

Annual bluegrass weevils are small, black beetles that can cause significant damage to annual bluegrass in the eastern part of the country. The damage to turf is caused by larvae that hatch from eggs in the spring. Initially, larvae feed from within the turfgrass stem. Older larvae become too large to fit within the stem of the plant and exit the plant to feed on the crown, causing severe damage.

What does damage from annual bluegrass weevil look like?

ABW larvae cause annual bluegrass to die in small, yellow or brown spots (Figure 1). Since the damage is to the crown, stand recovery is often very slow. As the infestation spreads and becomes more severe, the small spots can enlarge and affect large stands of annual bluegrass. There are reports of ABW damage on other golf course turfgrass species (e.g. creeping bentgrass), but the primary concern is on annual bluegrass.

Figure 1. Annual bluegrass weevil damage at a course in Wisconsin.

Should I be concerned at my course?

With positive identifications of ABW at two additional courses in central WI it is likely that ABW is slowly spreading out from the initial location identified in 2020. ABW spread is difficult to stop and it’s likely that ABW infestations will continue to slowly spread to surrounding areas.

How do I know if I have ABW?

Preventative control measures should not be implemented until ABW has been confirmed at your course. Scout for the adults in annual bluegrass stands beginning in mid-April to early May when GDD reaches 25 to 50 (base 50F, March 1^st start) or when Forsythia is in full bloom. ABW adults are small (approximately 1/8” long), black, and have a curved snout (Figure 2). They resemble billbugs but are considerably smaller. ABW larvae are white with a red head and don’t have any legs (Figure 3). Wisconsin residents may submit physical specimens or email pictures to PJ Liesch at the University of Wisconsin Insect Diagnostic Lab (https://insectlab.russell.wisc.edu/). Residents from outside Wisconsin can contact Dr. Ben McGraw (bam53@psu.edu) at Penn State for more information about submitting adult specimens for identification.

Figure 2. Adult annual bluegrass weevil collected from a golf course in Wisconsin. Photo credit to PJ Liesch.

Figure 3. Annual bluegrass weevil larvae from a golf course in Wisconsin.

Additional Resources:

• Cornell University – Diagnosis and Decision Making for Sustainable Annual Bluegrass Weevil: http://nysgolfbmp.cals.cornell.edu/annual_bluegrass_weevils_2019/
• UMass Amherst – ABW monitoring techniques: https://ag.umass.edu/turf/fact-sheets/annual-bluegrass-weevil-monitoring-techniques
• University of Wisconsin Insect Diagnostic Lab – ABW ID: https://insectlab.russell.wisc.edu/

For questions about ABW ID in Wisconsin please contact PJ. Liesch at the UW Insect Diagnostic Lab. For questions about ABW management or ID outside of Wisconsin please contact Dr. Ben McGraw at Penn State University.

 

Thank you.

Paul Koch, PhD                                                                                                   Professor                                                                                                         Department of Plant Pathology                                                            University of Wisconsin – Madison
608-262-6531                                                                                   plkoch@wisc.edu

Ben McGraw, PhD                                                                                            Associate Professor                                                                                   Department of Plant Science                                                                               Penn State University
814-865-1138                                                                                   bam53@psu.edu

P.J. Liesch                                                                                                                      Insect Diagnostic Lab Manager                                                            Department of Entomology                                                                     University of Wisconsin – Madison                                                                          pliesch@wisc.edu