ABSTRACT
Phenology, population, and economic models offer unique and valuable insight into rangeland pest management strategies. There are many levels of integrated pest management (IPM) that might be attempted on rangeland. Modeling exercises in rangeland IPM are relatively rare, despite their potential to facilitate interdisciplinary IPM. Integration may occur narrowly, as through selection of two or more compatible pest suppression tactics for control of a single pest organism. Range caterpillar sometimes is the dominant insect pest in the southern shortgrass prairie. Its abundance seems to be limited by abiotic factors, but biotic mortality agents from the Mexican population should not be overlooked as potential regulatory agents. A number of belowground invertebrates may be pests on rangeland. The most apparent are harvester ants, principally because they forage aboveground. Critical timing of grasshopper control, for example, is greatly enhanced when grasshopper consumption and development can be predicted accurately.
