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Serrano JM, Cook R, Headrick H, Cooper WR. Dietary history of click beetles and wireworms in the genus Limonius (Coleoptera: Elateridae) revealed by molecular gut content analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 53:173-179. [PMID: 38048447 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvad114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Wireworms, the larval stage of pest click beetle species (Coleoptera: Elateridae), are pests of many crops in North America including root vegetables and cereals. There is cause for concern amongst growers who are facing pressure from wireworms because there are a decreasing number of effective pesticides that can be used for wireworm management. Most research on pest elaterids has focused on the wireworm stage, which is the damage causing life stage. Recently, the focus in elaterid research has shifted to the adult click beetle stage, including identification of semiochemicals and development of effective traps. However, there is still a lot to be discovered about the basic biology of click beetles, including their feeding ecology. In an effort to understand the feeding ecology of click beetles, we investigated the presence of plant DNA in the digestive tracts of Limonius californicus (Mann.), L. canus (LeConte), and L. infuscatus (Mots.) beetles collected in 3 different locations within central Washington. To examine dietary histories of beetles and wireworms, specimens were collected from natural habitats and high-throughput sequencing of the plant genes trnF and ITS was used to identify their dietary history. Results revealed that click beetles do feed on a large variety of plants, which included a large quantity of brassicaceous plants commonly found in areas surrounding wireworm infested plots. The identification of the dietary history of the click beetles allowed us to infer their landscape-scale movements thus providing a means to better understand their behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Serrano
- USDA-ARS Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, WA 98951, USA
| | - Rachel Cook
- USDA-ARS Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, WA 98951, USA
| | - Heather Headrick
- USDA-ARS Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, WA 98951, USA
| | - W Rodney Cooper
- USDA-ARS Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, WA 98951, USA
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Rashed A, van Herk WG. Pest Elaterids of North America: New Insights and Opportunities for Management. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 69:1-20. [PMID: 37562049 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120220-123249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The larval stages of click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) species, several of which are serious agricultural pests, are called wireworms. Their cryptic subterranean habitat, resilience, among-species differences in ecology and biology, and broad host range, as well as the lack of objective economic injury thresholds, have rendered wireworms a challenging pest complex to control. Significant progress has been made in recent years, introducing a new effective class of insecticides and improving species identification and our understanding of species-specific phenology, chemical ecology (i.e., adult sex pheromones and larval olfactory cues), and abiotic and biotic factors influencing the efficacy of biological control agents. These new developments have created opportunities for further research into improving our risk assessment, monitoring, and integrated pest management capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Rashed
- Department of Entomology, Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech, Blackstone, Virginia, USA;
| | - Willem G van Herk
- Agassiz Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada;
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Effect of Host Size on Susceptibility of Melanotus communis (Coleoptera: Elateridae) Wireworms to Entomopathogens. J Nematol 2022; 54:20220033. [PMCID: PMC9583415 DOI: 10.2478/jofnem-2022-0033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Wireworms, the soil-borne larvae of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae), are important crop pests throughout the world. In the eastern U.S., Melanotus communis larvae attack grain, root/ tuber, and vegetable crops. Our objectives were to characterize the pathogenicity and virulence of fungal and nematode entomopathogens on M. communis wireworms, and determine if wireworm size affected virulence. Pathogens tested included five entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema carpocapsae (All strain), S. feltiae (SN strain), S. riobrave (355 strain), Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (VS strain), and H. indica (HiHom1 strain); and two entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana (GHA strain) and Cordyceps javanica (WF-GA17 strain). None of the pathogens tested caused >15% mortality at 7 or 14 days post-inoculation. Mortality was highest in S. carpocapsae (All strain); the other entomopathogens did not cause higher mortality than the untreated control. Overall, smaller wireworms were more susceptible than larger wireworms. Our results suggested that M. communis wireworms have defenses that limit the ability of the entomopathogens we tested to infect the wireworms. Conceivably, other entomopathogen strains or species may be more effective. Natural populations of entomopathogens may contribute to wireworm population reduction, but further studies are warranted before entomopathogens can be used for M. communis management.
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Nikoukar A, Rashed A. Integrated Pest Management of Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) and the Rhizosphere in Agroecosystems. INSECTS 2022; 13:769. [PMID: 36135470 PMCID: PMC9501627 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The rhizosphere is where plant roots, physical soil, and subterranean organisms interact to contribute to soil fertility and plant growth. In agroecosystems, the nature of the ecological interactions within the rhizosphere is highly dynamic due to constant disruptions from agricultural practices. The concept of integrated pest management (IPM) was developed in order to promote an approach which is complementary to the environment and non-target organisms, including natural enemies, by reducing the sole reliance on synthetic pesticides to control pests. However, some of the implemented integrated cultural and biological control practices may impact the rhizosphere, especially when targeting subterranean pests. Wireworms, the larval stage of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae), are generalist herbivores and a voracious group of pests that are difficult to control. This paper introduces some existing challenges in wireworm IPM, and discusses the potential impacts of various control methods on the rhizosphere. The awareness of the potential implications of different pest management approaches on the rhizosphere will assist in decision-making and the selection of the control tactics with the least long-term adverse effects on the rhizosphere.
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Nikoukar A, Ensafi P, Lewis EE, Crowder DW, Rashed A. Efficacy of Naturally Occurring and Commercial Entomopathogenic Nematodes Against Sugar Beet Wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 114:2241-2244. [PMID: 34240170 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Wireworms are the larval stage of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae), and some of their species are serious pests of many crops. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of naturally occurring and commercial entomopathogenic nematode species against the sugar beet wireworm, Limonius californicus (Mannerheim), in the laboratory. First, efficacies of Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) collected from an irrigated (S. feltiae-SSK) and a dryland (S. feltiae-SSC) field and the two commercial entomopathogenic nematode species, S. carpocapsae (Weiser) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae), were examined. Efficacies of the two field-collected S. feltiae isolates were also compared against a commercial S. feltiae strain. In the first bioassay, S. feltiae-SSK caused 63.3% wireworm mortality, followed by 30% caused by S. carpocapsae, 23.3% by S. feltiae-SSC, and 6.7% by H.bacteriophora. In the second assay, S. feltiae-SSK killed 56.7% of the wireworms, ≈2.1- and ≈5.7-fold higher than S. feltiae-SSC and the commercial isolate, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atoosa Nikoukar
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 2329, Moscow, ID, USA
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, Aberdeen, ID, USA
| | - Pooria Ensafi
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, Aberdeen, ID, USA
| | - Edwin E Lewis
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 2329, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - David W Crowder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Arash Rashed
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 2329, Moscow, ID, USA
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, Aberdeen, ID, USA
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Sandhi RK, Shapiro-Ilan D, Ivie M, Reddy GVP. Biocontrol of Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) Using Entomopathogenic Nematodes: The Impact of Infected Host Cadaver Application and Soil Characteristics. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:868-877. [PMID: 34032820 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Wireworms have become a significant menace to cereals in the Northern Great Plains. Therefore, research toward developing effective control methods such as biological control with entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) is warranted. Two strains, each of two EPN species, Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) and Steinernema riobrave Cabanillas, Poinar, and Raulston in the form of infected Galleria mellonella (L.) cadavers were evaluated against wireworms in field and greenhouse. In field experiments, none of the four EPN strains were found effective against wireworms. However, in the greenhouse test, three of the strains, S. carpocapsae (All and Cxrd) or S. riobrave (355) applied in cadavers killed 50-68% of the sugarbeet wireworm, Limonius californicus (Mannerheim) was associated with 8-24% plant damage at 35 d after treatment (DAT), when seeds were treated with imidacloprid. The mortality range was 40-56% with 57-75% plant damage observed at 35 DAT, when seeds were planted without imidacloprid treatment. Synergistic effect among imidacloprid and S. carpocapsae (Cxrd) or S. riobrave (355) was observed in regard to L. californicus mortality. Additionally, effects of soil texture, moisture, and temperature on the infection rate of EPNs against L. californicus were examined in the laboratory. Limonius californicus mortality was not significantly affected by either soil moisture or soil types maintained at field capacity moisture levels. However, soil temperature showed a significant effect on L. californicus mortality. Overall, imidacloprid enhanced the infection and killing ability of EPNs against L. californicus and S. carpocapsae (All and Cxrd) strains were the virulent strains in different soil experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramandeep Kaur Sandhi
- Montana Entomology Collection, Marsh Labs, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | - Michael Ivie
- Montana Entomology Collection, Marsh Labs, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Gadi V P Reddy
- USDA-ARS, Southern Insect Management Research Unit, Stoneville, MS, USA
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