Environmental Entomology (2009) 38, 176-182

Paul T. Marquardt and Christian H. Krupke (2009)
Dispersal and mating behavior of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Bt cornfields
Environmental Entomology 38 (1), 176-182
Abstract: Understanding of the mating and dispersal behavior of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (LeConte), is essential to predicting potential resistance to Bt corn technologies recently deployed to combat this pest. To quantify movement of male beetles, field studies were conducted during 2006 and 2007 in commercial Bt cornfields that included the Environmental Protection Agency-mandated 20% refuge acreage. Wing traps containing a single virgin female beetle were placed along transects throughout these fields. Male beetles were collected from the sticky bottoms of traps to compare the mean number of beetles captured at the different transect distances. Gut contents of each captured male were assayed with protein test strips to determine if the Bt protein (Cry3Bb1) was present. This provided an estimate of the distances traveled by males to reach virgin females. These data indicated that the mean number of males captured ~200 m from refuge corn was not significantly different than the mean number of males captured close to the refuge (<22 m). Complementary field observations were conducted to determine how far newly emerged female beetles moved before mating and the time of day mating occurs. Results indicated that females do not move far from the site of emergence before mating and do not mate within the first 4 h of adult life. The implications of these data for movement and mating patterns of adult rootworms in Bt/refuge environments are discussed.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Paul T. Marquardt

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
population dynamics/ epidemiology
general biology - morphology - evolution
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
resistance/tolerance/defence of host

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Diabrotica virgifera	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	U.S.A. (NE)
Bacillus thuringiensis genes in crops (entomopathogen)	Diabrotica virgifera	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	U.S.A. (NE)
Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3B-toxin (entomopathogen)	Diabrotica virgifera	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	U.S.A. (NE)