Grape Root Worms

Grape Root Worms

Grape Rootworm (Fidia viticida)
Grape rootworms are pests of grapes and related host species, such as Virginia creeper and redbud. They are common from the Atlantic seaboard states to North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas.

Adult beetles emerge anywhere from late May to mid-July, depending on the soil temperature. They are 8-10 mm long and hairy grayish brown or chestnut in color. They feed on the plants and leave chainlike feeding marks. The females lay eggs under the bark of grape vines and the larvae devour small roots and eat pits in the outer portion of larger roots. These creamy white larvae with dark brown heads are particularly destructive to vine health.

Photo courtesy of Clemson University Department of Entomology, Soils & Plant Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service.

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