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1 January 2015 Southern Chinch Bugs (Hemiptera: Blissidae) Increase Severity of Plant Disease in St. Augustinegrass
Ron Cherry, Huangjun Lu, Pamela Roberts
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Abstract

The southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis Barber, is the most damaging insect pest of St. Augustinegrass. Numerous studies have shown direct damage to the plant by chinch bugs. However, these studies did not determine if the insect may be causing indirect damage to the plant by making it more susceptible to disease. The study reported herein demonstrates that the fungal plant disease, gray leaf spot (Magnaporthe grisea [T.T. Hebert]), significantly increased in St. Augustinegrass after being infested with chinch bugs. Damage by the insect to other morphological and growth traits is also reported. This study emphasizes the complexity of southern chinch bug damage to St. Augustinegrass by direct damage and by indirect damage making the plant more susceptible to disease.

Ron Cherry, Huangjun Lu, and Pamela Roberts "Southern Chinch Bugs (Hemiptera: Blissidae) Increase Severity of Plant Disease in St. Augustinegrass," Journal of Entomological Science 50(1), 28-34, (1 January 2015). https://doi.org/10.18474/0749-8004-50.1.28
Received: 31 March 2014; Accepted: 1 June 2014; Published: 1 January 2015
KEYWORDS
Blissus insularis
plant disease
St. Augustinegrass
Stenotaphrum secundatum
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