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Video Q&A ViewAttendees 4

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student Competition 10-Minute Paper

Grad P-IE: Biodiversity and Ecology On-Demand Presentations

Investigating mechanisms of reproductive isolation between Limonius congeners (Coleoptera: Elateridae) and testing of ‘catch-all’ click beetle pheromone lures

On-Demand
Student Competition On-Demand

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Emily A. Lemke

    Master of Pest Management Student
    Simon Fraser University, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
    Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Wim van Herk

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

  • GG

    Gerhard Gries

    Professor
    Simon Fraser University
    Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

  • Kendal Singleton

    Masters of Pest Management Student
    Simon Fraser University
    Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Wireworms, the larvae of click beetles (Elateridae), are significant pests of agricultural crops worldwide. In North America, four Limonius species cause severe crop damage, notably L. californicus, L. canus and L. infuscatus in western regions, and L. agonus in eastern regions. Recently, (E)-4-ethyloct-4-enoic acid (‘limoniic acid’) has been identified as the major sex pheromone component of female L. californicus and L. canus and as a sex attractant for male L. infuscatus and L. agonus. With the three western Limonius congeners often co-inhabiting the same region, and with limoniic acid attractive to all three congeners, we investigated whether L. californicus, L. canus and L. infuscatus maintain reproductive isolation by partitioning sexual communication channels through non-overlapping seasonal occurrence or divergent diel periods of communication. Moreover, as wireworm heterogeners such as Agriotes spp. and Limonius spp. co-occur and inflict similar crop damage in western North America, we further investigated whether the sex pheromones of Agriotes spp. and Limonius spp. can be combined in a single lure without reducing trap captures of all target species.