Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T05:19:36.342Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Giant Foxtail Seed Predation by Harpalus pensylvanicus (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Meredith J. Ward
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 116 Agriculture Sciences and Industries Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
Matthew R. Ryan
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 116 Agriculture Sciences and Industries Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
William S. Curran*
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 116 Agriculture Sciences and Industries Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
Jeffrey Law
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 116 Agriculture Sciences and Industries Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: wcurran@psu.edu

Abstract

The utility of biological control for weed management in agroecosystems will increase with a greater understanding of the relationships between common weed and granivore species. Giant foxtail is an introduced, summer annual grass weed that is common throughout the United States and problematic in numerous crops. Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is a common, native, omnivorous carabid beetle with a range that overlaps giant foxtail. In 2004 and 2005, H. pensylvanicus was captured from farm fields in Centre County, PA, and subjected to laboratory feeding trials to test the preference of giant foxtail and other species on predation by H. pensylvanicus. Weed species seed preference experiments that included “Choice” and “No Choice” treatments were conducted using giant foxtail, common lambsquarters, and velvetleaf. When given a choice amongst the three weed species, H. pensylvanicus preferred giant foxtail and common lambsquarters seeds equally compared to velvetleaf seeds. When given the choice, H. pensylvanicus preferred newly dispersed giant foxtail seeds over field-aged seeds. Phenology of giant foxtail seed shed relative to H. pensylvanicus activity density was also quantified in field experiments in 2005 and 2006. Giant foxtail seed rain was determined by collecting shed seeds from August through October using pan traps. Activity density of H. pensylvanicus was monitored for 72-h periods using pitfall traps from June to October. Peak activity density of H. pensylvanicus occurred at the onset of giant foxtail seed shed in both years; however, giant foxtail seed shed peaked approximately 30 to 50 d after H. pensylvanicus activity density. Future research should focus on management practices that enhance and support H. pensylvanicus populations later in the growing season to maximize suppression of giant foxtail and other weeds that shed palatable seeds later in the season.

Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Current address: 121 Warren St, Sayre, PA 18840.

Current address: Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 515 Bradfield Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.

Current address: Natural Sciences Department, 4380 Main Street, Daemen College, Amherst, NY 14226.

References

Literature Cited

Brust, GE (1994) Carabids affect the ability of broadleaf weeds to compete. Agric Ecosyst Environ. 48:2734 Google Scholar
Cardina, J, Norquay, HM, Stinner, BR, McCartney, DA (1996) Postdispersal predation of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) seeds. Weed Sci. 44:534539 Google Scholar
Cromar, HE, Murphy, SD, Swanton, CJ (1999) Influence of tillage and crop residue on postdispersal predation of weed seeds. Weed Sci. 47:184194 Google Scholar
Davis, AS, Taylor, EC, Haramoto, ER, Renner, KA (2013) Annual postdispersal weed seed predation in contrasting field environments. Weed Sci. 61:296302 Google Scholar
Dekker, J (2003) The foxtail (Setaria) species-group. Weed Sci. 51:641656 Google Scholar
Dekker, J, Dekker, BI, Hilhorst, H, Karssen, C (1996) Weedy adaptation in Setaria spp.: IV. Changes in the germinative capacity of S. faberi embryos with development from anthesis to after abscission. Am J Bot. 83:979991 Google Scholar
Doll, JD (2001) Knowing when to look for what: weed emergence and flowering sequence in Wisconsin. Madison, WI Wisconsin State University Extension IPM. 8 pGoogle Scholar
Forcella, F, Colbach, N, Kegode, GO (2000) Estimating seed production of three Setaria species in row crops. Weed Sci. 48:436444 Google Scholar
Golovina, EA, Tikhonov, AN, Hoekstra, FA (1997) An electron paramagnetic response spin-probe study of membrane-permeability changes with seed aging. Plant Physiology. 114:383389 Google Scholar
Haar, JM (1998) Characterization of foxtail (Setaria spp.) seed production and giant foxtail (Setaria faberi) seed dormancy at abscission. Ph.D Dissertation. Ames, IA Iowa State University. 244 pGoogle Scholar
Harrison, SK, Schmoll, JT (2003) Postdispersal predation on giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) seed in no-tillage corn. Weed Sci. 51:955964 Google Scholar
Heggenstaller, AH, Menalled, FD, Liebman, M, Westerman, PR (2006) Seasonal patterns in post-dispersal seed predation of Abutilon theophrasti and Setaria faberi in three cropping systems. J Appl Ecol. 43:9991010 Google Scholar
Helmut, M, Lagalec, LL, Munier-Jolian, N, Waldhardt, R, Petit, S (2010) Weed seed predation increases with vegetation cover in perennial forage crops. Agric Ecosyst Environ. 138:1016 Google Scholar
Hively, WD, Cox, WJ (2001) Interseeding cover crops into soybean and subsequent corn yields. Agron J. 93:308313 Google Scholar
Kielty, J, Allen-Williams, L, Underwood, N, Eastwood, E (1996) Behavioral responses of three species of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to olfactory cues associated with prey and habitat. J Insect Behav. 9:237250 Google Scholar
Larochelle, A, Lariviere, MC (2003) A natural history of the ground-beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of America north of Mexico. Faunistica No. 27. Moscow-Sofia Pensoft Publishers. 583 pGoogle Scholar
Lund, RD, Turpin, FT (1977) Carabid damage to weed seeds found in Indiana cornfields. Environ Entomol. 6:695698 Google Scholar
Lundgren, JG (2009) The Seed Feeders. Relationships of Natural Enemies and Non-Prey Foods. New York Springer Science. Pp 333351 Google Scholar
Lundgren, JG, Rosentrater, KA (2007) The strength of seeds and their destruction by granivorous insects. Arthropod-Plant Interactions. 1:9399 Google Scholar
Martinkova, A, Saska, P, Honk, A (2006) Consumption of fresh and buried seed by ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Eur J Entomol. 103:361364 Google Scholar
O'Rourke, ME, Heggenstaller, AH, Liebman, M, Rice, ME (2006) Post-dispersal weed seed predation by invertebrates in conventional and low-external-input crop rotation systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ. 116:280288 Google Scholar
Slife, FW (1954) A new Setaria species in Illinois. Proceedings of North Central Weed Control Conference. 11:67 Google Scholar
Teasdale, JR, Mohler, CL (2000) The quantitative relationship between weed emergence and the physical properties of mulches. Weed Sci. 48:385392 Google Scholar
Tooley, J, Brust, GE (2002) Weed seed predation by carabid beetles. Pages 215229 in Holland, JM, ed. The Agroecology of Carabid Beetles. Andover, UK Intercept Google Scholar
Ward, MJ, Ryan, MR, Curran, WS, Mortensen, DA, Barbercheck, ME (2011) Cover crops and disturbance influence activity-density of Amara aenea and Harpalus pensylvanicus (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Weed Sci. 59:7681 Google Scholar
Warwick, SI (1990) Allozyme and life history variation in five northwardly colonizing North American weed species. Plant Syst Evol. 169:4154 Google Scholar
Westerman, PR, Luijendijk, CD, Wevers, JDA, Van Der Werf, W (2011) Weed seed predation in a phenologically late crop. Weed Res. 5:157164 Google Scholar
Westerman, PR, Wes, JS, Kroff, MJ, Van Der Werf, W (2003) Annual losses of weed seeds due to predation in organic cereal fields. J Ecol. 40:824836 Google Scholar