How Do You Identify Black Turfgrass Ataenius?
If it looks like your grass is dying from drought even though there’s been plenty of rain, then you might want to start looking for the black turfgrass ataenius. These creatures have two life cycles for areas with the same seasonal shifts found in Ohio and southward. Look for a small black scarab beetle. The black turfgrass ataenius is about 6 millimeters long and common in well-watered and fertilized areas like a golf course. The beetle is the adult stage. Find the adult female near dead, decaying grass and dung. The black turfgrass ataenius is a member of the dung beetle subclass and loves the rotting grass. Many appear in areas that have a lot of organic material and mostly bluegrass. Feel the grass. If the grass comes out easily in clumps when you pull it or is dead and dying with large brown areas, you probably have an infestation of grubs. Roll back a clump of turf and see if there are grubs underneath. The C-shaped grubs of the black turfgrass ataenius feed on the roots of the t
