Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica (2000) 34, 393-402

Gy. Barna, J. Kiss, C. Gerber, L.W. Bledsoe and C.R. Edwards (2000)
Study of behavioral change of western corn rootworm beetle by crop and sex in maize and soybean fields in Northwestern Indiana, USA
Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica 34 (4), 393-402
Abstract: WCR adults generally lay their eggs in maize and their larvae feed almost exclusively on maize roots (Smith,1966, Branson and Ortman,1967,1971, Branson and Krysan,1981, Levine and Oloumi-Sadeghi,1991). For this reason, farmers have accepted growing maize in rotation with soybean to manage WCR larval populations without the use of soil insecticides. Recently, in Northwest Indiana and East Central Illinois in the USA, western corn rootworm has adapted to the above management system (Gerber et al., 1997). A portion of WCR eggs is laid in soybean and in other crops like alfalfa.This behavioral change increases the potential for survival of WCR larvae the following year since most soybean fields are rotated to maize. During the summers of 1996,1997, and 1998 field studies related to this behavioral shift were conducted in northwestern Indiana. Eleven pairs of maize/soybean fields were selected for the study. During these sampling periods, WCR beetles were present in both maize and soybean. Empirical observations show that there were higher numbers of females in soybean when compared to maize.
(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): Jozsef Kiss, C. Richard Edwards

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment - cropping system/rotation

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Diabrotica virgifera	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	U.S.A. (NE)
	Diabrotica virgifera	Soybean (Glycine max)	U.S.A. (NE)