Weeping lovegrass, Eragrostis curvula (Schrader) Nees von Esenbeck, as a harborage of arthropods on the Texas High Plains

A study was conducted during 1984 and 1985, coinciding to a large extent with the cotton-growing season, to determine the arthropod fauna harbored by weeping lovegrass, Eragrostis curvula (Schrader) Nees von Esenbeck. Results from whole plant and D-vac sampling indicate that the majority of arthropo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Southwestern naturalist 1991-03, Vol.36 (1), p.49-53
Main Authors: Phillips, S.A. Jr. (Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX), Brown, C.M, Cole, C.L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural land
ARTHROPODA
Arthropods
Cotton
DEPREDADORES
ECOSISTEMA
ECOSYSTEME
ECOSYSTEMS
Entomology
ERAGROSTIS CURVULA
GOSSYPIUM
HOSTS
HOTE
HUESPEDES
Insect pests
INSECTE NUISIBLE
INSECTOS DANINOS
LLANURAS
PEST INSECTS
Pests
PLAINE
PLAINS
Planting
Plants
PREDATEUR
PREDATORS
PREDATORS OF INSECT PESTS
Sampling methods
TEXAS
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Summary:A study was conducted during 1984 and 1985, coinciding to a large extent with the cotton-growing season, to determine the arthropod fauna harbored by weeping lovegrass, Eragrostis curvula (Schrader) Nees von Esenbeck. Results from whole plant and D-vac sampling indicate that the majority of arthropods harbored by weeping lovegrass belong to the orders Acarina, Araneae, Hymenoptera, and Thysanoptera, and, of these orders, the thrips (Thysanoptera) represented the majority of specimens collected. In 1985, not less than 15 species of thrips were collected, and Oedaleothrips hookeri Hood and Haplothrips graminis Hood were the most common. One species collected that may be a pest of cotton was the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). However, this species comprised only 10.8% of the thrips identified to species. Although little is known of the biology of the remaining thrips, they are not considered to be serious economic pests. Therefore, our results indicate that weeping lovegrass will not detrimentally affect the agro-ecosystem on the Texas High Plains and that this grass may even have a beneficial effect on the arthropod fauna associated with cotton.
ISSN:0038-4909
1943-6262
DOI:10.2307/3672115