Name a common turf pest and a typical symptom for each.

• A. Chinch bugs — stippling and wilting of turf
• B. White grubs — bright green patches
• C. Armyworms — uniform color change across lawn
• D. Billbugs — immediate full turf recovery

Answer: (A)

Recognizing common turf pests means matching how they feed with what you see on the turf. Chinch bugs are sap-sucking insects that attack warm-season grasses. Their feeding damages leaf tissue, producing stippling—tiny yellow to bronze specks on the blades—and as water uptake is disrupted, the grass wilts and dries out, often forming stressed patches in hot, dry conditions. That combination of stippling and wilting is a classic sign of chinch bug damage, which is why this pairing fits best. Other pests have different visible effects: white grubs cause thinning turf that lifts easily because they feed on roots; armyworms chew and create ragged, irregular patches; billbugs lead to yellowing and decline but not the immediate full-turf recovery pattern described.