Ground Covers Influence the Abundance and Behavior of Japanese Beetles

摘要: Ground covers were tested for 3 consecutive yr their effect on Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), abundance and behavior in a blueberry planting. Alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum L.), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), pe- rennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne bare ground compared within row-middles of adult female beetles, beetle after landing, density larvae the soil, survival larvae. Adult beetles consistently most abundant buckwheat, followed by ryegrass, while they generally absent from plots. Larval was three times greater than with fewest found ground. There high variability larval treatments, but overall highest plots ryegrass. Observations revealed that proportion time spent feeding frequency higher average duration digging bouts lasted longer other two plant treatments. These results reveal P. is affected cover crops this translates into variation pest.