Bread beetle

Scientific Name: Anisoplia austriaca

Type of pest: Pests of cereal crops

Order: — Coleoptera

Family: — Scarabаeidae

The greatest damage is in the southern forest-steppe and steppe zone Ukrainian.

The beetle eats the cereals in the milk laceration phase, and the solid grains are knocked out to the ground.

Strongly damages wheat, rye, barley.

The larvae damage the root system of wheat, corn, beets, sunflower, potatoes.

Beetle length 12,8 - 16 mm, body blue-black with shine; a head with a green shine; has a kind of mustache; it was dark brown.

Larva up to 35 mm in size. White, with a brownish-yellow head.

The beetles flew from the end of May to the beginning of August; mass summer - from June 11 to July 17.

Beetles are active on hot sunny days, they fly, sit on the ears and feed.

Two weeks after the outbreak begins egg laying, for which the female breaks into the soil to a depth of 10 - 15 cm and lays eggs in small groups, for 2 - 3 receptions for 30 - 40 pieces.

Three weeks later, from the eggs, the larvae go out, they feed on humus and small roots of various plants, and the larvae of the older ages - mostly roots.

In the autumn they move to the ground to a depth of 30 - 80 cm, and in the spring again rise to the surface. During the summer melting twice.

Casting occurs in the soil at a depth of 10 - 15 cm. At the stage pupae are about two weeks, after which the imago is obtained.

The population of the beetle is reduced by nematodes, fungi and bacterial diseases; on the larva parasites Microphthalma europea Egg.

Protection measures. Scoring of stubble and deep autumn of plowing, interrowing of soil cultivating crops and steam fields by 10 - 12 cm (at the end of May - early June) for the destruction of larvae and pupae. Processing of border strips of grain cereal crops in the phase of pouring grain with insecticides Bi-58, Nurel D, Fastak in the presence of 3 - 5 beetles per 1 m2.