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Reference · Pests

Elateridae

Click beetles (Elateridae) are a family of beetles whose larvae, known as wireworms, are among the most destructive soil-dwelling pests of agricultural crops. Adult beetles are characterized by their ability to flip themselves into the air with a clicking sound. In agronomy, the larvae are of primary concern due to their long life cycle spent entirely within the soil profile.

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Lateral click beetle Lacon lateralis Limonius click beetle Limonius Limonius subauratus Limonius subauratus Mannerheim click beetle Ampedus mannerheimi Masters click beetle Agrypnus mastersi Melanotus communis Melanotus communis Melanotus longulus Melanotus longulus Melanotus opacicollis Melanotus opacicollis Melanotus rufinus Melanotus rufinus Narrow-necked click beetle Lacon stricticollis Neodiploconus click beetle Neodiploconus Oregon click beetle Melanotus oregonensis Parallel click beetle Conoderus parallelus Pheletes click beetle Pheletes Platynychus click beetle Platynychus Platynychus formosanus Platynychus formosanus Pleonomus Pleonomus Pleonomus canaliculatus Pleonomus canaliculatus Pointed click beetle Selatosomus puncticollis Prosternon Prosternon Purple click beetle Corymbites purpureus Pyrophorus beetle Pyrophorus Randall's click beetle Ampedus randalli Red click beetle Neodiploconus rubidus Red click beetle Ampedus Red click beetle Ampedus sanguineus Red-collared click beetle Ampedus collaris Rusty-winged click beetle Agriotes ferrugineipennis Sand wireworm Horistonotus uhlerii Shiny click beetle Selatosomus aeneus Silky click beetle Agriotes sericeus Southern potato wireworm Conoderus falli Southern wireworm Conoderus australasiae Southern wireworm Agriotes sordidus Steppe click beetle Melanotus cribulosus Striped click beetle Agriotes lineatus Striped click beetle Athous Striped click beetle Melanotus invectitius Tamsui click beetle Melanotus tamsuynensis Tessellated click beetle Prosternon tessellatum Tetralobus Tetralobus Tetralobus flabellicornis Tetralobus flabellicornis Tobacco wireworm Conoderus vespertinus Two-colored click beetle Hypnoidus bicolor Western gray click beetle Ctenicera pruinina Wheat wireworm Agriotes mancus Wide-chested click beetle Selatosomus amplicollis Wireworm Melanotus villosus Yellow click beetle Ludius lutescens Zealand click beetle Actenicerus siaelandicus
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Elateridae

Wireworms attack a wide range of field and vegetable crops. Potatoes, corn, sugar beets, small grains, and sunflowers are particularly susceptible to infestation. Larvae cause significant damage by feeding on seeds, severing roots and underground stems, and boring deep tunnels into tubers and taproots, which often leads to secondary infections and severe degradation of crop marketability.

The life cycle of click beetles is prolonged, typically lasting between 3 and 5 years depending on the species and environmental conditions. Females deposit eggs in the soil, favoring damp areas with dense weed cover, particularly perennial grasses like couch grass. Larvae pass through several growth stages, moving vertically in the soil profile in response to moisture and temperature fluctuations throughout the seasons.

The persistence of wireworms is due to their adaptability and cryptic behavior. They exhibit peak activity in moderately moist soils with temperatures ranging from 15°C to 25°C. Outbreaks are most common in fields with a history of grass sod or severe weed infestations, which provide the essential moisture and food sources required for larvae to thrive and complete their development.

Effective management of wireworms requires an integrated approach combining cultural, chemical, and physical control tactics. Key strategies include:

  • Rigorous weed management, especially targeting perennial grasses.
  • Crop rotation strategies, including the use of trap crops or bio-fumigant cover crops like mustard.
  • Strategic tillage practices to expose larvae to desiccation and natural predators during vulnerable life stages.
  • Seed treatment with systemic insecticides prior to planting.
  • Application of soil-applied granular insecticides at planting when population thresholds are exceeded.