Flight Activity and Relative Abundance of Phytophagous Scarabs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) from Two Locations in Florida

Abstract

The seasonal abundance of phytophagous scarabs in Gainesville and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was documented with ultraviolet blacklight traps operated from April 2002 to November 2004. Over 44,000 adult scarabs were trapped and identified, including 30 species from 14 genera. Hybosorus illigeri Reiche was the most abundant species trapped (n = 12,306 or 27.9% of total trap catches). Phyllophaga was the most diverse genus with ten species collected. Tomarus cuniculus (F.) and Dyscinetus morator (F.) adults were trapped every month of the year. Anomala innuba (F.), Cyclocephala lurida (Bland), C. parallela Casey, H. illigeri, and Phyllophaga bruneri Chapin exhibited bimodal flight patterns. Adults of these five species combined represented 49.1, 56.5, and 64.6% of the collections in 2002, 2003, and 2004, respectively. Species that occurred in both locations tended to be active earlier in Fort Lauderdale than in Gainesville. The flight activity and species composition of potential scarab pests in Florida appears to be different from those in the midwestern and northern U.S., suggesting that turfgrass and ornamental plant managers need to adjust their management strategies accordingly.

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