Environmental Entomology (2020) 49, 449-460
Willem G. van Herk and Robert S. Vernon (2020)
Local depletion of click beetle populations by pheromone traps is weather and species dependent
Environmental Entomology 49 (2), 449-460
Abstract: Several Agriotes click beetle species are important pests of vegetables and field crops. Monitoring for beetles is generally done with pheromone-baited traps maintained in permanent locations. Since dispersal is mostly by walking, such traps may deplete populations around them, leading to underestimations of populations relative to nontrapped areas, and of concomitant risk of wireworm damage to nearby crops. We placed sets of five pitfall traps in field headland areas in 2015–2017, of which two were baited with Agriotes obscurus (L) or Agriotes lineatus (L) (Coleoptera: Elateridae) pheromone. Of these, one was maintained in a permanent location, while the other moved among the remaining positions. Traps were checked weekly over the emergence period. For A. obscurus, fixed and moving traps initially collected similar numbers, but the latter collected significantly more later in the season, indicating depletion around fixed traps. Depletion was most pronounced after a period of cold weather, and around the peak swarming period. Depletion observed for A. lineatus was not statistically significant. This indicates pheromone-baited traps used for walking insects can underestimate populations, but depletion rates vary with species and temperature and should be accounted for when traps are used to develop action thresholds or time control strategies.
(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): Willem G. van Herk, Robert S. Vernon
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pheromones/attractants/traps
control - general
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriotes lineatus | ||||
| Agriotes obscurus |
