Biology, ecology, and management of the annual bluegrass weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in turfgrass

Abstract The annual bluegrass weevil (ABW), Listronotus maculicollis Kirby, is arguably the most destructive turfgrass insect pest of golf courses and tennis courts in eastern North America, threatening high-value playing surfaces. The ABW was first detected on golf courses in Long Island, New York, in the late 1950s, and has since spread throughout the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Its accelerated spread over the past 30 yr is likely related to the transport of infested sod, leading to its establishment in the southeastern and midwestern United States. Concomitantly, it has increasingly infested less favorable hosts, such as creeping bentgrass, especially in regions where its preferred host, Poa annua L., is scarce. With few viable alternatives for ABW management, insecticides remain integral to maintaining the aesthetic and functional characteristics of managed turfgrass playing surfaces. Insecticide applications are often made sequentially throughout the season due to the relatively small size of ABW, its cryptic life stages, and the potential for damage to high-value turf. This overreliance on chemical control has fueled widespread resistance to pyrethroids, with some highly resistant populations exhibiting decreased sensitivity to unrelated compounds (i.e., multiple resistance), disrupting ABW control and threatening the long-term sustainability of management programs. Understanding ABW ecology and targeting key vulnerabilities can help design management programs that disrupt its life cycle and minimize turfgrass damage. Here, we review over 50 yr of research on ABW ecology, biology, and management, highlighting key discoveries, persistent and emerging challenges, and potential opportunities for more sustainable control strategies.