Abstract
Wireworms are a serious agricultural pest, with control efforts targeting soil-dwelling larvae almost exclusively. They appear yearly for a brief period as adult click beetles to mate and oviposit, and as adults, possess qualities that make them good candidates for an attract and kill control tactic: (i) susceptibility to certain entomopathogenic fungi; and (ii) attraction of males to female sex pheromones. To expand the range of wireworm control options, our study aimed to determine if banded applications of a new granular formulation of Agriotes obscurus L. (Coleoptera: Elateridae) pheromone would increase beetle mortality when applied with banded Metarhizium brunneum Petch (Ascomycota: Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) LRC112. Pheromone granules applied at 12.7 kg/ha (1 % wt/wt 1:1 geranyl hexanoate:geranyl octanoate) together with rice conidiated with 2 × 1014 conidia/ha of M. brunneum LRC112 reduced beetle recapture by 98.2 % compared to M. brunneum alone. A lower rate (2 × 1013 conidia/ha) of M. brunneum with pheromone granules reduced recapture by 82.6 % compared to the lower rate alone. A significantly greater number of beetles aggregated at pheromone bands to acquire lethal doses of conidia in as little as 6 h, with conidia dose remaining unchanged up to 54 h later. Conidia dose acquired by beetles corresponded to treatment and was positively related to total beetle mortality and speed of death. Attracting and killing click beetles might represent a new tactical approach to control wireworm larvae by reducing click beetle fecundity. We expect the pheromone granules to also to have utility for click beetle mating disruption.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful for the skills and effort of others who contributed to this project: Beth McCannel, Erwan LeNaour, Emma Gosselin, Justin Woo, Insaf Mbiriki, and thank Dr. David Ehret for his critical review of this manuscript prior to submission. Funding was provided by the AgriCluster II programme of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in turn supported by Novozymes BioAg Ltd., British Columbia Potato and Vegetable Growers’ Association, the Ontario and Prince Edward Island Potato Boards, and the Lower Mainland Horticulture Improvement Association.
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Todd Kabaluk, J., Lafontaine, J.P. & Borden, J.H. An attract and kill tactic for click beetles based on Metarhizium brunneum and a new formulation of sex pheromone. J Pest Sci 88, 707–716 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-015-0661-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-015-0661-3