Japanese beetle and other Coleoptera feeding on grapevines in eastern North America

Abstract

The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, and several other coleopteran foliavores, i.e. green June beetle, Cotinus nitida (L.), rose chafer, Macrodactylus subspinosus (F.), grape rootworm, Fidia viticida Walsh, and grape fl ea beetle, Altica chalybea Illiger cause conspicuous foliar injury. A number of these coleopterans also cause injury to other vine parts, i.e., primary buds, berries, or roots. Although such injury may be much more economically important than the leaf injury, we will not address them here because the leaf injury arouses the greatest amount of concern. Japanese beetle is the main species to be discussed. In an earlier study (Pfeiffer et al. 1990 ) , it was found to be the target of most insecticide sprays in Virginia vineyards, owing to its conspicuous leaf injury. Although its populations fl uctuate considerably from year to year, Japanese beetle remains an important pest to be addressed by grape pest management programs in eastern North America. The thrust of this chapter is on beetles that, in at least one life stage, infl ict defoliation injury on grapevines. There is one additional coleopteran that may cause economic losses, the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas). Injury that may be infl icted to fruit by this otherwise benefi cial predator is discussed by Pfeiffer et al. (Chap. 19 ).