Damage Report on a Newly Recorded Coleopteran Pest, Aphanisticus congener (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from Turfgrass in Korea

Abstract

Aphanisticus congener is a newly recorded buprestid (Coleoptera) insect pest of turfgrass in Korea. This buprestid pest was initially found from turfgrass conservation site in a greenhouse in Jinju, Gyeongnam province, Korea in July, 2014. The Aphanisticus in the family Buprestidae is a leaf miner. A. congener is the close species of A. aeneus which was firstly reported as sugarcane leaf sucker in India. A. congener was active from early July to late August in the greenhouse. Damage by the insect led to drying out and browning of turfgrass leaf because larva fed on cell sap of leaves and adult fed on leaf surface. A. congener damaged Zoysia japonica, Z. sinica, Conodon dactylon, and Poa pratensis when adults were artificially released into potted turfgrasses in the laboratory. In green house, A. congener damaged Z. japonica, Z. macrostachya, Z. matrella, Z. sinica, Conodon dactylon, and hybrid zoysiagrass. However, no damage symptoms were observed from the same turfgrass accessions in the nearby field of the greenhouse. Thus, the new coleopteran pest may be a warm-adapted pest for turfgrass, damaging turfgrass leaf only in warmer conditions.