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Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Member Symposium

Clickbait: Click Beetles and Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) as Inspiration

Mass trapping click beetles as an alternative wireworm management tool: What are the considerations?

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

3:44 PM – 3:56 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 204

Presenting Author(s)

Robert S. Vernon

Consultant
Sentinel IPM Services
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada

Co-Author(s)

Wim van Herk

Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada

Co-author(s)

KM

Kathleen Moore

Environment and Climate Change Canada / Canadian Wildlife Service
PM

Peka Mueller

University of British Columbia

With the discovery of pheromones for many economic species of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae), mass trapping is being considered for some species as an alternative low risk management tool. This talk covers a number of important variables we had to consider and/or research in determining the potential viability of mass trapping Agriotes obscurus (L) and A. lineatus (L) in areas of southern British Columbia, including: biological (ecology, temporal and spatial life history, mating frequency, dispersal means and range); logistical (trap efficacy, spacing, timing, years required, regional scope, metrics of success); economic (cost of traps, lures, personnel and collateral inconvenience relative to potential economic opportunities); and the clients who would finance and ultimately benefit from the program (growers, governments, privately funded groups).