Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Sugar beet wireworm Limonius californicus damage to wheat and barley: evaluations of plant damage with respect to soil media, seeding depth, and diatomaceous earth application

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arthropod-Plant Interactions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Wireworms, the larval stage of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae), continue to be one of the major concerns of cereal producers, primarily due to the lack of effective pesticides and species-specific management options. To have a better understanding of species-specific interactions of one of the most damaging wireworms in the Pacific Northwest and intermountain regions of the USA, a greenhouse study was set to evaluate the damage from the sugar beet wireworm Limonius californicus to wheat and barley planted at different depths and in soil media with varying levels of organic content and texture. Overall, the evaluated wheat appeared to be more susceptible than the barley, showing greater reductions in emergence success and foliar biomass. The greatest loss of foliar biomass was observed in peatmoss-dominated medium, as indicated by a significant host plant-by-soil media interaction. Percentage of plants fed upon by L. californicus was significantly higher in the sand-dominated medium than peatmoss-dominated and 1:1 mix media. Moreover, manipulation of soil media by the addition of diatomaceous earth showed no consistent effect in protecting the planted wheat. Our findings indicated that in addition to quantifying wireworm species-specific interactions, host plant interactions with the environment in the presence of wireworm infestation should also be further studied. These relationships could influence the outcome of integrated management approaches and future risk assessment models and recovery plans.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arthur FH, Throne JE (2003) Efficacy of diatomaceous earth to control internal infestations of rice weevil and maize weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). J Econ Entomol 96:510–518

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barsics F, Haubruge E, Verheggen FJ (2013) Wireworms’ management: an overview of the existing methods, with particular regards to Agriotes spp. (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Insects 4:117–152

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J, Wheeler J, Clayton J, Zhao W, O’Brien K, Zhang J, Jackson C, Marshall JM, Brown BD, Campbell K, Chen XM, Zemetra R, Souza EJ (2013) Registration of ‘UI Stone’ soft white spring wheat. J Plant Regist 7:321–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J, Wheeler J, O’Brien K, Zhao W, Klassen N, Zhang J, Bowman B, Wang Y, Jackson C, Marshall JM, Chen XM (2016) Release of ‘UI Platinum’ hard white spring wheat. J Plant Regist 10:36–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherry R, Stansly P (2008) Abundance and spatial distribution of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in Florida sugarcane fields on muck versus sandy soils. Fla Entomol 91:383–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins DA (2006) A review of alternatives to organophosphorus compounds for the control of storage mites. J Stored Prod Res 42:395–426

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cook RJ, Veseth RJ (1991) Wheat health management. American Phytopathological Society Plant Health Management Series. APS Press, St. Paul

  • Ebeling W (1971) Sorptive dusts for pest control. Annu Rev Entomol 16:123–158

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ebeling W, Wagner RE (1959) Rapid desiccation of drywood termites with insert sorptive dusts and other substances. J Econ Entomol 52:190–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esser AD, Milosavljevic I, Crowder DW (2015) Effects of neonicotinoids and crop rotation for managing wireworms in wheat crops. J Econ Entomol 108:1786–1794

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Faulde MK, Tisch M, Scharninghausen JJ (2006) Efficacy of modified diatomaceous earth on different cockroach species (Othoptera, Blattellidae) and silverfish (Thysanura, Lepismatidae). J Pest Sci 79:155–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gfeller A, Laloux M, Barsics F, Kati DE, Haubruge E, du Jardin P, Verheggen FJ, Lognay G, Wathelet JP, Fauconnier ML (2013) Characterization of volatile organic compounds emitted by barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) roots and their attractiveness to wireworms. J Chem Ecol 39:1129–1139

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins JH (1936) Relation of soil utilization to wireworm injury. J Econ Entomol 29:728–731

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermann A, Brunner N, Hann P, Wrbka T, Kromp B (2013) Correlations between wireworm damages in potato fields and landscape structure at different scales. J Pest Sci 86:41–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higginbotham RW, Froese PS, Carter AH (2014) Tolerance of wheat (Poales: Poaceae) seedlings to wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae). J Econ Entomol 107:833–837

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones EW (1951) Laboratory studies on the moisture relations of Limonius (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Ecology 32:284–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones EW, Shirck FH (1942) The seasonal vertical distribution of wireworms in the soil in relation to their control in the Pacific Northwest. J Agric Res 56:125–142

    Google Scholar 

  • Kephart KD, Stark JC, and Robertson L (1989) Irrigated spring wheat production guide for Southern Idaho. University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Extension Bulletin 697

  • Korunic Z (1998) Diatomaceous earth, a group of natural insecticides. J Stored Prod Res 34:87–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lafrance J (1968) The seasonal movements of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in relation to soil moisture and temperature in organic soils of Southwestern Quebec. Can Entomol 100:801–807

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lange WH, Carlson EC, Leach LD (1949) Seed treatments for wireworm control with particular reference to the use of lindane. J Econ Entomol 42:942–955

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lefko SA, Pedigo LP, Batchelor WD, Rice ME (1998) Spatial modeling of preferred wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) habitat. Environ Entomol 27:184–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mewis I, Ulrichs Ch (2001) Action of amorphous diatomaceous earth against different stages of the stored product pests Tribolium confusum, Tenebrio molitor, Sitophilus granarius and Plodia interpunctella. J Stored Prod Res 37:153–164

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Milosavljevic I, Esser AD, Crowder DW (2015) Identifying wireworms in cereal crops. Washington State University Extension FS175E

  • Mohan S, Fields PG (2002) A simple technique to assess compounds that are repellent or attractive to stored-product insects. J Stored Prod Res 38:23–31

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morales-Rodriguez A, O’Neill RP, Wanner KW (2014) A survey of wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) species infesting cereal crops in Montana. Pan Pac Entomol 90:116–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker WE, Seeney FM (1997) An investigation into the use of multiple site characteristics to predict the presence and infestation level of wireworms (Agriotes spp., Coleoptera: Elateridae) in individual grass fields. Ann Appl Biol 130:409–425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rashed A, Etzler F, Rogers CW, Marshall JM (2015) Wireworms in Idaho cereals: Monitoring and identification. University of Idaho Extension Bulletin 898

  • Reddy GV, Tangtrakulwanich K, Wu S, Miller JH, Ophus VL, Prewett J, Jaronski ST (2014) Evaluation of the effectiveness of the entomopathogens for the management of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) on spring wheat. J Invertebr Pathol 120:43–49

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson LD, Guy SO, Brown BD (2004) Southern Idaho dryland winter wheat production guide. University of Idaho. College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Extension Bulletin 827

  • Traugott M, Pazmandi C, Kaufmann R, Juen A (2007) Evaluating 15 N/14 N and 13C/12C isotope ratio analysis to investigate trophic relationships of elaterid larvae (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Soil Biol Biochem 39:1023–1030

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Traugott M, Schallhart N, Kaufmann R, Juen A (2008) The feeding ecology of elaterid larvae in central European arable land: new perspectives based on naturally occurring stable isotopes. Soil Biol Biochem 40:342–349

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Traugott M, Benefer CM, Blackshaw RP, van Herk WG, Vernon RS (2015a) Biology, ecology, and control of elaterid beetles in agricultural land. Annu Rev Entomol 60:313–334

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Traugott M, Schallhart N, Staudacher K, Wallinger C (2015b) Understanding the ecology of wireworms and improving their control: a special issue. J Pest Sci 86:1–2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Herk WG, Vernon RS (2006) Effect of temperature and soil on the control of a wireworm, Agriotes obscurus L. (Coleoptera: Elateridae) by flooding. Crop Prot 25:1057–1061

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vernon RS, van Herk WG, Tolman J, Ortiz Saavedra H, Clodius M, Gage B (2008) Transitional sublethal and lethal effects of insecticides after dermal exposures to five economic species of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae). J Econ Entomol 101:365–374

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vernon RS, van Herk WG, Clodius M, Harding C (2009) Wireworm management I: stand protection versus wireworm mortality with wheat seed treatments. J Econ Entomol 102:2126–2136

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank our field technician Fabiola Aguilar, our laboratory technician Scott Pristupa, and our laboratory assistant Cindrie Lowder for their help with different aspects of this experiment. Funding for this project was provided by the Idaho Wheat Commission, Idaho Barley Commission, USDA-ARS-REACCH-2011-68002-30191 and USDA-NIFA-Hatch-IDA01506.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant, Soil, and Entomological Sciences, Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, University of Idaho, Aberdeen, ID, 83210, USA

    Arash Rashed, Christopher W. Rogers, Mahnaz Rashidi & Juliet M. Marshall

Authors
  1. Arash Rashed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christopher W. Rogers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mahnaz Rashidi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Juliet M. Marshall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arash Rashed.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Joseph Dickens.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rashed, A., Rogers, C.W., Rashidi, M. et al. Sugar beet wireworm Limonius californicus damage to wheat and barley: evaluations of plant damage with respect to soil media, seeding depth, and diatomaceous earth application. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 11, 147–154 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-016-9474-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-016-9474-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation