Marble Khrushchev - an insect with a long development cycle, similar in structure to the May bug. Distributed in southern Europe, Ukraine and partially in Russia.
In Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the steppe zone of the Black Sea region, it has a similar analogue (in appearance and habits) - a beetle-chafer, completely covered with white scales. July Caucasian Khrushchev inhabits the Caucasus.
Marble Crunch: Description
Belonging to the family of lamellar beetles, it is characterized by black-brown color and rather large dimensions (about 30-45 mm in length). A distinctive feature is the elytra, head, and pronotum with multiple whitish spots forming a marble pattern. Abdomen pubescent, in light gray hairs. Forelegs are digging, about 35 mm long. The antennae are brownish-rusty, articulated, fan-shaped, curved, with a mace consisting of 7 plates. Females are more modest, out of 5 short parts.
Conditions of existence
July marble khrushch appears in large numbers at the end of June, at a steady temperature above + 10 ° C. Hiding in the upper layers of the soil during the day, in the evening such insects fly out. As food, they prefer grape leaves, oak and pine needles. Moreover, the females are inactive; mostly males fly short distances. As the sun rises, marble chafer buries in the ground or stays on a tree.
Such insects are also preferred to mate in the evening. Eggs, characterized by white color and oblong shape, the female lays in the soil; the fertility of one individual is about 50 eggs. Over the course of a month, white larvae appear from the egg, with a curved thick body, larvae measuring about 7.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. The head is light red, without eyes. They develop over 3 years, waiting for the winter period in the soil, at a depth of about 1 meter. With the advent of spring, they rise into the upper strata, and they wait for intense heat in cooler layers of the soil.
After three winters, in the second half of June, the larva enters the pupation stage; pupal size about 40 mm. Marble Khrushchev emerges from it after 3 weeks. In shaded and cool places, the larval development period can be extended for another year: it will enter the pupation stage after 4 seasons.
Larva of Marble Crush: Caused
The adult beetle eats a little bit, therefore it does not cause cardinal harm to plants. The most dangerous pests are its larvae. Being in the stage of the first age, they feed on humus and young plant roots. In the second period of development, the roots of fruit trees and grape cuttings are damaged , which causes the death of plants. Willingly eat potato tubers, beets, garlic, onions, cabbage, rape, corn. Individuals of the third age simultaneously eat up the roots of old trees. The larvae of the last year of development are able not only to gnaw the root of the young pine, but also to gnaw the root of a powerful tree.
Preferring to settle on poor soils where plant immunity to diseases and pests is lowered, the larvae of the marble beetle cause great harm to young plantings of vineyards and fruit trees. At times, they increase their activity in the absence of moisture in the soil. There have been cases of almost complete (up to 70%) destruction of grape cuttings planted on the banks of the Dnieper.
Biological method of protection
There are several ways to deal with the larvae of the marble beetle, which are preferably carried out in combination with the rest.
This is a biological method that uses the natural enemies of marble grapevine, in particular the scolia quadripunctata. Easily finding the larva of a potential adversary in the ground (moving towards it almost in a straight line), the scolium paralyzes the victim with an injection, and then lays an egg in its abdomen. Sometimes it does not lay eggs, but the victim struck by the injection still dies. The hatched scoli larva uses the host larva as food - a kind of always fresh food: immobilized, but with continued blood circulation. Then the process of transformation into a chrysalis and into an adult insect occurs. The latter feeds on nectar of flowers such as blueheads, onion round-headed, phacelia. Therefore, experts propose in the territories susceptible to the pest activity of the larvae of marble chrysanthemum, to plant these plants in order to attract scoliosis. It is recommended to sow flowers for several years in a row, thus ensuring the continuity of the process for the destruction of the pest.
Methods of struggle
In order to protect the cultural plantings from marble raspberries, it is recommended to use insecticide treatment of the root system of the seedlings. Contaminated soil must be treated with pesticides.
Marble chafer predominantly populates areas of treeless wastelands, therefore, in the areas of its habitat, it is necessary to ensure the density of plantings. It is recommended that fresh logging be reserved for planting a young forest, and old logging requires deep plowing of the land with the parallel application of chemicals. Accumulations of marble gherkins on trees are cleaned with chemical solutions.