Browsing by Author "Morales-Rodriguez, Anuar"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

The composition of wireworm species in Montana wheat and barley fields and its effect on developing IPM programs
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2014) Morales-Rodriguez, Anuar; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Kevin Wanner; Kevin W. Wanner was a co-author of the article, 'An evaluation of four different bait traps for sampling wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) infesting cereal crops in Montana' submitted to the journal 'Journal of economic entomology' which is contained within this thesis.; Ruth P. O'Neill and Kevin W. Wanner were co-authors of the article, 'A survey of wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) species infesting cereal crops in Montana' in the journal 'Pan-pacific entomologist' which is contained within this thesis.; Kevin W. Wanner was a co-author of the article, 'Determining the potential for cereal crop injury by wireworm species commonly found infesting cropland in Montana' submitted to the journal 'Canadian entomologist' which is contained within this thesis.; Kevin W. Wanner was a co-author of the article, 'Efficacy of thiamethoxam and fipronil, applied alone and in combination, to control Limonius californicus and Hypnoidus bicolor (Coleoptera: Elateridae)' in the journal 'Pest management science' which is contained within this thesis.; David Wichman and Kevin W. Wanner were co-authors of the article, 'Effects of cultural practices on wireworm populations and damage in cereal fields' submitted to the journal 'Crop sciences' which is contained within this thesis.
Wireworms, the larvae of click beetles, are the most important soil-insect pest of small grain fields in Montana. Worldwide, there are about 9,300 species of elaterids in 400 different genera, and in North America 885 species in 60 genera have been identified. In Montana, 166 species were identified, among them, 21 species have been identified as possible pests in small grain fields and some are serious pests of a wide variety of crops. My research focused on three main objectives related to wireworm IPM: first, the identification of the species causing damage in the field and their geographic and seasonal distribution in Montana; second, establishing the potential of different baited traps to monitor pest wireworm populations; and third, evaluating chemical and cultural management alternatives. To complete the first objective a statewide wireworm survey was conducted for three years as well as an intense sampling of four cereal fields season for three consecutive years. To complete the second objective, the effectiveness of four baited traps were assessed: traditional pitfall compared to pot, stocking and canister type traps, in four cereal fields for three years. To complete the last objective, laboratory, greenhouse and field studies were conducted to evaluate new insecticides, crop injury, tillage practices and seeding density. 5,097 wireworms were collected from the four sites during 2010 - 2012 including four common species, Aeolus mellillus, Hypnoidus bicolor, Limonius californicus and L. infuscatus, and three minor species, Agriotes spp., Dalopius spp. and Selatosomus aeripennis. Peak wireworm activity at the soil surface was found to coincide with cereal crop germination and establishment. While all trap types can be used to detect wireworm activity and estimate population levels, pitfall and stocking were more efficient than pot and canister traps. Thiamethoxam does not kill wireworms but its ability to suppress wireworm populations in the field can be improved by the addition of fipronil. Increasing seeding density is one of the most common cultural recommendations for managing wireworms, but my studies did not support its benefit to higher crop yields. Significantly, species-specific crop injury and seasonal movement in the soil support the need for species-specific IPM research.
Evaluation of Four Bait Traps for Sampling Wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) Infesting Cereal Crops in Montana
(2017-06) Morales-Rodriguez, Anuar; Ospina, Aracely; Wanner, Kevin W.
The basic principles of a reliable integrated pest management program include pest identification, monitoring, and distribution. Selecting the appropriate sampling protocol to monitor wireworm for research or applied entomology depends on the objective, including simply detecting the presence or absence of wireworm, surveying the composition of wireworm assemblages, or estimating spatial and temporal population densities. In this study, the efficacy of pitfall, stocking, pot, and canister traps baited with wheat and barley mixtures was evaluated for monitoring wireworm populations in four commercial cereal fields in Montana. Pitfall and stocking traps collected greater numbers of wireworm (1625 and 1575, respectively) followed by pot-type and canister-type traps (1173 and 725, respectively). The 5098 wireworm collected from four sites included seven species: Aeolus mellillus, Agriotes sp, Dalopius sp, Hypnoidus bicolor, Limonius californicus, Limonius infuscatus, and S. aeripennis.