![]() A few spores also are formed at this stage, but the main phase of sporulation occurs later and is completed by 14 to 21 days when the larva develops the typical milky appearance. ![]() By this time, some of the cells have penetrated the gut wall and have begun to grow in the hemolymph, where large numbers of cells develop by day 5 to 10. Spores which reside in the soil and have been ingested by beetle larvae germinate in the larva's gut within 2 days and the vegetative cells proliferate, attaining maximum numbers within 3 to 5 days. popilliae by some experts) have other scarab hosts and are specific to different beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, which includes the Japanese beetle and the chafers - important pasture pests, but also the beneficial dung beetles. lentimorbus, which is considered a strain of P. Japanese beetle is the exclusive host of the strain of P. Trehalose, the sugar found in insect hemolymph, is a favored carbon source, although glucose can also be used. Several amino acids are known to be required for growth, as well as the vitamins thiamine and barbituric acid. popilliae grows only on rich media containing yeast extract, casein hydrolysate, or an equivalent amino acid source, and sugars. popilliae is a Gram-positive spore-forming rod of1.3 to 5.2 x 0.5 to 0.8 micrometers.Ī fastidious organism, P. popilliae was the first insect pathogen to be registered in the U.S. The term "milky disease" comes from the larva's pure white appearance when infected with B. ![]() It is also a problem in the larval stage because the adult beetles lay their eggs in turf and the grubs destroy the grass roots.īy the 1930s, the infestation had become so extensive that a search for a control measure was undertaken which led to the discovery in nature of some diseased larvae. It is a problem as an adult beetle because it feeds on a wide range of ornamental and crop plants, eating the tissues between the veins, and it accumulates on ripening fruit, causing substantial damage. It spread rapidly from the initial sightings in New Jersey (1916) and today it is found over roughly half of the country in almost every state east of the Mississippi. Although it is not a problem in its area of origin, the beetle causes serious damage in the USA. The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, was accidentally introduced into the USA early this century.
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