Phyllophaga spp. and Cyclocephala spp. (annual white grubs)
Damage to plants
- Root damage, resulting in wilting of seedlings, poor plant growth, lodging, or seedling death.
Signs
- Wilting seedlings.
- Poor crop stands.
- Tilted, curved, or lodged plants.
- Uneven growth.
- Damaged plants are easily pulled from the soil.
- Dead heart.
- Purple coloration of the maize seedling, due to reduced phosphorus uptake.
Factors favoring insects / pest development
- Shallow, matted root systems.
- Soft, well-drained, and slightly acidic soil.
- Crops following pasture.
- Zero-tillage agriculture.
Geographic distribution
- Worldwide distribution.
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