Environmental Entomology (2017) 46, 814-825

J. Saguez, A. Latraverse, J. De Almeida, W.G. van Herk, R.S. Vernon, J-P. Légaré, J. Moisan-De Serres, M. Fréchette and G. Labrie (2017)
Wireworm in Quebec field crops: Specific community composition in North America
Environmental Entomology 46 (4), 814-825
Abstract: Wireworms are important economic pests that attack the seeds and roots of numerous vegetable and field crops worldwide. A 5-yr study was conducted in the main agricultural regions of the province of Quebec (Canada), to identify and characterize the wireworm communities (Coleoptera: Elateridae) that occur in fields planted with economically important crops (maize, soybean, cereals, canola, and grasslands). Bait traps were used to collect wireworms each spring from 2011 to 2015. More than 600 sites were sampled in total, involving ca. 14,000 traps. Wireworms were found in 69% of the sites and 73% of the traps. A total of 6,014 wireworms were collected and identified to genus, or to species when possible. The results show that nine genera occur in Quebec and that Hypnoidus abbreviatus (Say) is currently the most abundant species in arable land in Quebec, representing 72% of all collected wireworms. The other genera collected were Melanotus (8% of all wireworms collected), Ampedus (7%), Limonius (6%), and Agriotes (4%). Wireworms from the genera Aeolus, Dalopius, Hemicrepidius, and Oestodes constituted ca. 3% together. The predominance of H. abbreviatus appeared to be specific to Quebec compared with the other Canadian provinces and the rest of North America. We observed differences in the relative abundance of wireworm genera among the agricultural regions sampled. However, no effect of current and preceding crops was observed in this study. Our results suggest that integrated pest management strategies for managing wireworms in Quebec fields should take into consideration the species present in each agronomical region.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Julien Saguez, Willem G. van Herk, Geneviève Labrie, Robert S. Vernon

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Hypnoidus abbreviatus		Canada (east)