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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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Click beetles Elateridae 12 products Actenicerus sjaelandicus Actenicerus Adelocera Adelocera Adelocera murina Adelocera murina Adrastus click beetle Adrastus Adrastus limbatus Adrastus limbatus Agriotes fuscicollis Agriotes fuscicollis Agriotes gurgistanus Agriotes gurgistanus Agriotes limosus Agriotes limosus Agriotes litigiosus Agriotes litigiosus Agriotes persimilis Agriotes persimilis Agriotes pilosellus Agriotes pilosellus Agriotes pubescens Agriotes pubescens Agrypnus variabilis Agrypnus variabilis Alaus click beetle Alaus Alaus putridus Alaus putridus Arachnodima Arachnodima Arachnodima adelaidae Arachnodima adelaidae Athous haemorrhoidalis Athous haemorrhoidalis Bifoveate click beetle Conoderus bifoveatus Black click beetle Agriotes aterrimus Black click beetle Hemicrepidius niger Black click beetle Melanotus niger Black-collared click beetle Ampedus nigricollis Blood-red click beetle Ampedus sanguinolentus Blue click beetle Hemicrepidius subcyaneus Broad click beetle Selatosomus latus Bronze-black click beetle Pheletes aeneoniger Brown click beetle Athous subfuscus Brown click beetle Conoderus lividus Brown click beetle Lacon fuliginosus Brown click beetle Limonius infuscatus Brown-legged click beetle Melanotus brunnipes California click beetle Limonius californicus Chestnut click beetle Anostirus castaneus Chestnut click beetle Elatichrosis castanea Click beetle Agriotes Click beetle Agriotes sputator Click beetle Corymbites Click beetle Ctenicera Click beetle Lacon Click beetle Limonius discoideus Click beetle Melanotus caudex Click beetle Melanotus Click beetle Pyrophorus noctilucus Click beetle Cidnopus Click beetle Selatosomus Click beetle Ludius Click beetle Agriotes rufipalpis Click beetle Agriotes brevis Click beetle (Anostirus) Anostirus Click beetle (genus Ectinus) Ectinus Click beetle (Melanotus erythropygus) Melanotus erythropygus Click beetle Aeolus livens Aeolus livens Click beetle Agriotes meticulosus Agriotes meticulosus Click beetle Agriotes sparsus Agriotes sparsus Click beetle Conoderus bellus Conoderus bellus Click beetle Conoderus scalaris Conoderus scalaris Click beetle Conoderus varians Conoderus varians Click beetle Lacon assus Lacon assus
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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.