Agricultural and Forest Entomology (2009) 11, 115-121

J.S. Ellis, R. Blackshaw, W. Parker, H. Hicks and M.E. Knight (2009)
Genetic identification of morphologically cryptic agricultural pests
Agricultural and Forest Entomology 11 (1), 115-121
Abstract: 1 Wireworms are the polyphagous larvae of click beetles and are well known as agricultural pests. Larvae of the genus Agriotes are internationally recognized as economically important pests of potato. Historically associated with crop damage after conversion of grassland, they are an increasing problem even in all-arable rotations.
2 Current studies of Agriotes ecology and behaviour, and consequently control and management, are seriously hampered by the lack of a means of reliably identifying larvae owing to morphological crypsis during this life-stage.
3 Here, sequence data at the mitochondrial 16SrRNA gene are presented for three species of wireworm: Agriotes obscurus, A. lineatus, and A. sputator. A novel terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) technique is described that identifies larvae of these species. This technique is shown to be both efficient and reliable. Interestingly, thus far the samples tested have yielded no A. lineatus. Implications for future study of wireworm ecology and control are discussed.
(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): Jonathan S. Ellis

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
identification/taxonomy
molecular biology - genes

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Agriotes lineatus
	Agriotes obscurus
	Agriotes sputator