An insect mystery solved

We wrote a few weeks ago (August 4, 2008 Update) about a puzzling diagnostic sample we had received. Ryegrass fairways from the high desert of California had been declining every year during the summer months. The superintendent reported seeing small, almost microscopic worms in the turf, and also that insecticide applications seemed to temporarily reverse the damage. But he had no idea what those miniscule worms were, or whether it was the worms, or something else, that was responsible for…