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Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management
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Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Pest and Vector Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 40727

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lance J. Meinke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska, Entomology Hall 109B, Lincoln, NE 68583-0816, USA
Interests: insect ecology; integrated pest management; resistance management; biology, ecology, and management of Diabrotica species
Dr. Joseph L. Spencer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, 1816 S. Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820, USA
Interests: insect behavior and reproduction; western corn rootworm ecology, biology, management, and resistance to Bt maize

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diabroticite corn rootworms are economically significant pests of grain maize in North America and Europe. Corn rootworm management costs and the value of lost production annually exceed US $1 billion in the United States.

Corn rootworm biology is closely tied to that of their maize hosts. Historically, the success or failure of corn rootworm management tactics was determined by how well pest managers understood and exploited rootworm biology, ecology, and behavior. The highly adaptable nature of the key pest, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Leconte, the western corn rootworm, has made management an ongoing challenge. Over time, this species has evolved resistance to four insecticide classes and all commercially available rootworm-active Cry toxins expressed in Bt–maize hybrids. 

The future success of corn rootworm management may require a more holistic view of management than implemented in the past and the development of new tactics that are based on firm understandings of Diabrotica biology, physiology, ecology, and behavior.

For this upcoming Special Issue, we are seeking original submissions and reviews that address and update our understanding of corn rootworm biology and management in modern production systems.

Dr. Lance J. Meinke
Dr. Joseph L. Spencer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Diabrotica
  • western corn rootworm
  • northern corn rootworm

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

2 pages, 149 KiB  
Editorial
Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior, and Integrated Management
by Lance J. Meinke and Joseph L. Spencer
Insects 2024, 15(4), 235; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects15040235 - 28 Mar 2024
Viewed by 478
Abstract
Species of the beetle genus Diabrotica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are native to North and South America, with their greatest diversity occurring in neotropical areas [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

14 pages, 2978 KiB  
Article
Automatic Field Detection of Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with a New Probe
by Zsolt Tóth, Miklós Tóth, Júlia Katalin Jósvai, Franciska Tóth, Norbert Flórián, Veronika Gergócs and Miklós Dombos
Insects 2020, 11(8), 486; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects11080486 - 01 Aug 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2874
Abstract
The Western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a significant invasive pest of maize plantations in Europe. Integrated pest management demands an adequate monitoring system which detects the activity of insects with high accuracy in real-time. In this study, [...] Read more.
The Western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a significant invasive pest of maize plantations in Europe. Integrated pest management demands an adequate monitoring system which detects the activity of insects with high accuracy in real-time. In this study, we show and test a new electronic device (ZooLog KLP), which was developed to detect WCR in the field. The ZooLog KLP consists of a trapping element that attracts insects with its color and species-specific sex pheromone. The other part is an opto-electronic sensor-ring which detects the specimens when they fall into the trap. At detection, the time of catch is recorded and sent to a web interface. In this study, we followed WCR flight patterns for six weeks in two locations, using ZooLog KLP probes. We investigated sensor precision by comparing the number of catches to the number of detections. The tool reached high accuracy (95.84%) in recording WCR. We found a peak in flight activity in August and a bimodal daily pattern. This method may be beneficial in detecting the WCR during their activity, and this new device may serve as a prototype for real-time monitoring systems and improve the management of this pest. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)
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Review

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49 pages, 2248 KiB  
Review
Movement Ecology of Adult Western Corn Rootworm: Implications for Management
by Thomas W. Sappington and Joseph L. Spencer
Insects 2023, 14(12), 922; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects14120922 - 03 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1576
Abstract
Movement of adult western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is of fundamental importance to this species’ population dynamics, ecology, evolution, and interactions with its environment, including cultivated cornfields. Realistic parameterization of dispersal components of models is needed to predict rates of range [...] Read more.
Movement of adult western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is of fundamental importance to this species’ population dynamics, ecology, evolution, and interactions with its environment, including cultivated cornfields. Realistic parameterization of dispersal components of models is needed to predict rates of range expansion, development, and spread of resistance to control measures and improve pest and resistance management strategies. However, a coherent understanding of western corn rootworm movement ecology has remained elusive because of conflicting evidence for both short- and long-distance lifetime dispersal, a type of dilemma observed in many species called Reid’s paradox. Attempts to resolve this paradox using population genetic strategies to estimate rates of gene flow over space likewise imply greater dispersal distances than direct observations of short-range movement suggest, a dilemma called Slatkin’s paradox. Based on the wide-array of available evidence, we present a conceptual model of adult western corn rootworm movement ecology under the premise it is a partially migratory species. We propose that rootworm populations consist of two behavioral phenotypes, resident and migrant. Both engage in local, appetitive flights, but only the migrant phenotype also makes non-appetitive migratory flights, resulting in observed patterns of bimodal dispersal distances and resolution of Reid’s and Slatkin’s paradoxes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)
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11 pages, 8044 KiB  
Review
Ecology and Evolutionary History of Diabrotica Beetles—Overview and Update
by Astrid Eben
Insects 2022, 13(2), 156; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13020156 - 31 Jan 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2828
Abstract
An overview is given on several aspects of evolutionary history, ecology, host plant use, and pharmacophagy of Diabrotica spp. with a focus on the evolution of host plant breadth and effects of plant compounds on natural enemies used for biocontrol of pest species [...] Read more.
An overview is given on several aspects of evolutionary history, ecology, host plant use, and pharmacophagy of Diabrotica spp. with a focus on the evolution of host plant breadth and effects of plant compounds on natural enemies used for biocontrol of pest species in the group. Recent studies on each aspect are discussed, latest publications on taxonomic grouping of Diabrotica spp., and new findings on variations in the susceptibility of corn varieties to root feeding beetle larvae are presented. The further need for in-depth research on biology and ecology of the large number of non-pest species in the genus is pointed out. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)
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29 pages, 926 KiB  
Review
RNAi for Western Corn Rootworm Management: Lessons Learned, Challenges, and Future Directions
by Molly Darlington, Jordan D. Reinders, Amit Sethi, Albert L. Lu, Partha Ramaseshadri, Joshua R. Fischer, Chad J. Boeckman, Jay S. Petrick, Jason M. Roper, Kenneth E. Narva and Ana M. Vélez
Insects 2022, 13(1), 57; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13010057 - 05 Jan 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5711
Abstract
The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is considered one of the most economically important pests of maize (Zea mays L.) in the United States (U.S.) Corn Belt with costs of management and yield losses exceeding USD ~1–2 billion annually. [...] Read more.
The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is considered one of the most economically important pests of maize (Zea mays L.) in the United States (U.S.) Corn Belt with costs of management and yield losses exceeding USD ~1–2 billion annually. WCR management has proven challenging given the ability of this insect to evolve resistance to multiple management strategies including synthetic insecticides, cultural practices, and plant-incorporated protectants, generating a constant need to develop new management tools. One of the most recent developments is maize expressing double-stranded hairpin RNA structures targeting housekeeping genes, which triggers an RNA interference (RNAi) response and eventually leads to insect death. Following the first description of in planta RNAi in 2007, traits targeting multiple genes have been explored. In June 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the first in planta RNAi product against insects for commercial use. This product expresses a dsRNA targeting the WCR snf7 gene in combination with Bt proteins (Cry3Bb1 and Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1) to improve trait durability and will be introduced for commercial use in 2022. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)
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26 pages, 1249 KiB  
Review
Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) in Europe: Current Status and Sustainable Pest Management
by Renata Bažok, Darija Lemić, Francesca Chiarini and Lorenzo Furlan
Insects 2021, 12(3), 195; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects12030195 - 25 Feb 2021
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5046
Abstract
Western corn rootworm (WCR), or Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, became a very serious quarantine maize pest in Europe in the mid-1990s. Between 1995 and 2010, European countries were involved in international projects to share information and plan common research for integrated pest management [...] Read more.
Western corn rootworm (WCR), or Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, became a very serious quarantine maize pest in Europe in the mid-1990s. Between 1995 and 2010, European countries were involved in international projects to share information and plan common research for integrated pest management (IPM) implementation. Since 2011, however, common efforts have declined, and an overview of WCR population spread, density, and research is in serious need of update. Therefore, we retained that it was necessary to (1) summarize the research activities carried out in the last 12 years in various countries and the research topics addressed, and analyze how these activities have contributed to IPM for WCR and (2) present the current distribution of WCR in the EU and analyze the current population levels in different European countries, focusing on different management strategies. A review of scientific papers published from 2008 to 2020, in addition to direct interviews with experts in charge of WCR management in a range of European countries, was conducted. Over the past 12 years, scientists in Europe have continued their research activities to investigate various aspects of WCR management by implementing several approaches to WCR control. A considerable amount of new knowledge has been produced, contributing to the development of pest management strategies applicable in EU farming systems. Among the 10 EU countries analyzed, there is no country reporting economic damage on a large scale. Thanks to intensive research leading to specific agricultural practices and the EU Common Agricultural Policy, there are crop-rotation-based solutions that can adequately control this pest avoiding insecticide use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)
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20 pages, 611 KiB  
Review
Western Corn Rootworm, Plant and Microbe Interactions: A Review and Prospects for New Management Tools
by Kyle J. Paddock, Christelle A. M. Robert, Matthias Erb and Bruce E. Hibbard
Insects 2021, 12(2), 171; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects12020171 - 17 Feb 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4232
Abstract
The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is resistant to four separate classes of traditional insecticides, all Bacillius thuringiensis (Bt) toxins currently registered for commercial use, crop rotation, innate plant resistance factors, and even double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting essential genes via environmental [...] Read more.
The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is resistant to four separate classes of traditional insecticides, all Bacillius thuringiensis (Bt) toxins currently registered for commercial use, crop rotation, innate plant resistance factors, and even double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting essential genes via environmental RNA interference (RNAi), which has not been sold commercially to date. Clearly, additional tools are needed as management options. In this review, we discuss the state-of-the-art knowledge about biotic factors influencing herbivore success, including host location and recognition, plant defensive traits, plant-microbe interactions, and herbivore-pathogens/predator interactions. We then translate this knowledge into potential new management tools and improved biological control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)
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16 pages, 320 KiB  
Review
Resistance to Bt Maize by Western Corn Rootworm: Effects of Pest Biology, the Pest–Crop Interaction and the Agricultural Landscape on Resistance
by Aaron J. Gassmann
Insects 2021, 12(2), 136; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects12020136 - 05 Feb 2021
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 4073
Abstract
The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is among the most serious pests of maize in the United States. Since 2003, transgenic maize that produces insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been used to manage western corn rootworm by [...] Read more.
The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is among the most serious pests of maize in the United States. Since 2003, transgenic maize that produces insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been used to manage western corn rootworm by killing rootworm larvae, which feed on maize roots. In 2009, the first cases of field-evolved resistance to Bt maize were documented. These cases occurred in Iowa and involved maize that produced Bt toxin Cry3Bb1. Since then, resistance has expanded to include other geographies and additional Bt toxins, with some rootworm populations displaying resistance to all commercially available Bt traits. Factors that contributed to field-evolved resistance likely included non-recessive inheritance of resistance, minimal fitness costs of resistance and limited adult dispersal. Additionally, because maize is the primary agricultural crop on which rootworm larvae can survive, continuous maize cultivation, in particular continuous cultivation of Bt maize, appears to be another key factor facilitating resistance evolution. More diversified management of rootworm larvae, including rotating fields out of maize production and using soil-applied insecticide with non-Bt maize, in addition to planting refuges of non-Bt maize, should help to delay the evolution of resistance to current and future transgenic traits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)
22 pages, 1360 KiB  
Review
The Use of Insecticides to Manage the Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, LeConte: History, Field-Evolved Resistance, and Associated Mechanisms
by Lance J. Meinke, Dariane Souza and Blair D. Siegfried
Insects 2021, 12(2), 112; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects12020112 - 28 Jan 2021
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5198
Abstract
The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Dvv) is a significant insect pest of maize in the United States (U.S.). This paper reviews the history of insecticide use in Dvv management programs, Dvv adaptation to insecticides, i.e., field-evolved resistance and associated mechanisms [...] Read more.
The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Dvv) is a significant insect pest of maize in the United States (U.S.). This paper reviews the history of insecticide use in Dvv management programs, Dvv adaptation to insecticides, i.e., field-evolved resistance and associated mechanisms of resistance, plus the current role of insecticides in the transgenic era. In the western U.S. Corn Belt where continuous maize is commonly grown in large irrigated monocultures, broadcast-applied soil or foliar insecticides have been extensively used over time to manage annual densities of Dvv and other secondary insect pests. This has contributed to the sequential occurrence of Dvv resistance evolution to cyclodiene, organophosphate, carbamate, and pyrethroid insecticides since the 1950s. Mechanisms of resistance are complex, but both oxidative and hydrolytic metabolism contribute to organophosphate, carbamate, and pyrethroid resistance facilitating cross-resistance between insecticide classes. History shows that Dvv insecticide resistance can evolve quickly and may persist in field populations even in the absence of selection. This suggests minimal fitness costs associated with Dvv resistance. In the transgenic era, insecticides function primarily as complementary tools with other Dvv management tactics to manage annual Dvv densities/crop injury and resistance over time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)
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23 pages, 296 KiB  
Review
Models of Diabrotica Populations: Demography, Population Genetics, Geographic Spread, and Management
by David W. Onstad, Michael A. Caprio and Zaiqi Pan
Insects 2020, 11(10), 712; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects11100712 - 17 Oct 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1936
Abstract
Both Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte and D. barberi Smith and Lawrence are among the most damaging insects impacting corn in North America. D. virgifera virgifera has also invaded Europe and has become an important pest in that region. Computer models have become an [...] Read more.
Both Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte and D. barberi Smith and Lawrence are among the most damaging insects impacting corn in North America. D. virgifera virgifera has also invaded Europe and has become an important pest in that region. Computer models have become an important tool for understanding the impact and spread of these important pests. Over the past 30 years, over 40 models have been published related to these pests. The focus of these models range from occupancy models (particularly for Europe), impact of climate change, range expansion, economics of pest management, phenology, to the evolution of resistance to toxins and crop rotation. All of these models share characteristics. We elaborate on the methods in which modelers have incorporated the biology of these pests, including density-dependence, movement, fecundity and overwintering mortality. We discuss the utility of both spatially-explicit, complex models and spatially-implicit, generational models and where each might be appropriate. We review resistance models that either explain past evolution to crop rotation, insecticides or insecticidal traits or attempt to predict the consequences of resistance management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)
18 pages, 1929 KiB  
Review
Biology and Management of Pest Diabrotica Species in South America
by Guillermo Cabrera Walsh, Crébio J. Ávila, Nora Cabrera, Dori E. Nava, Alexandre de Sene Pinto and Donald C. Weber
Insects 2020, 11(7), 421; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects11070421 - 08 Jul 2020
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5050
Abstract
The genus Diabrotica has over 400 described species, the majority of them neotropical. However, only three species of neotropical Diabrotica are considered agricultural pests: D. speciosa, D. balteata, and D. viridula. D. speciosa and D. balteata are polyphagous both as [...] Read more.
The genus Diabrotica has over 400 described species, the majority of them neotropical. However, only three species of neotropical Diabrotica are considered agricultural pests: D. speciosa, D. balteata, and D. viridula. D. speciosa and D. balteata are polyphagous both as adults and during the larval stage. D. viridula are stenophagous during the larval stage, feeding essentially on maize roots, and polyphagous as adults. The larvae of the three species are pests on maize, but D. speciosa larvae also feed on potatoes and peanuts, while D. balteata larvae feed on beans and peanuts. None of these species express a winter/dry season egg diapause, displaying instead several continuous, latitude-mediated generations per year. This hinders the use of crop rotation as a management tool, although early planting can help in the temperate regions of the distribution of D. speciosa. The parasitoids of adults, Celatoria bosqi and Centistes gasseni, do not exert much control on Diabrotica populations, or show potential for inundative biocontrol plans. Management options are limited to insecticide applications and Bt genetically modified (GM) maize. Other techniques that show promise are products using Beauveria bassiana and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, semiochemical attractants for monitoring purposes or as toxic baits, and plant resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management)
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