Experts say that it was just a matter of time before new species of an invasive turf-grass infesting white grub made it to Indiana.

On Thursday the Turfgrass Entomology and Applied Ecology Laboratory (TEAEL) at Purdue University reported that the European chafer and the Asiatic garden beetle have been confirmed in Porter, St. Joseph, and Allen counties.

Those two, along with the Oriental beetle, were placed on the Indiana watch list just last year—in cooperation with the Indiana Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey—after being tracked in Ohio and Michigan.

As recently as eight years ago an intensive survey indicated that none of the three beetles was present in Indiana.

“In particular, the European chafer represents a potentially serious problem for the turfgrass industry in Indiana,” TEAEL said. “Statewide surveys designed to more accurately assess the distribution of these two insects will be conducted this summer and management recommendations will be available in the very near future.”

Posted 4/6/2007