A Seasonal Survey of Click Beetles in a Potato Production Area Near Palmer, Alaska

Authors: Pantoja, Alberto; Hagerty, Aaron; Emmert, Susan

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/17/2009
Publication Date: 1/28/2010
Citation: Pantoja, A., Hagerty, A.M., Emmert, S.Y. 2010. A seasonal survey of click beetle species in a potato production area near Palmer, Alaska. American Journal of Potato Research. Available: http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/plant+sciences/journal/12230, [doi 10.1007/s12230-009-9125-8].

Interpretive Summary: In the United Sates and Canada, wireworms are important pests of vegetables, small grains, and potatoes. In Alaska, wireworm damage to potato has been noted as early as 1949 (Chamberlin 1949). However, there is no consensus of the importance of the group or the species composition affecting agricultural crops in Alaska. Furthermore, published information on the elaterid fauna of Alaska is quite limited. The majority of the information regarding distribution and ecology (i.e., habitat data and plant associations) of Alaskan species is scattered among regional reports and taxonomic works, but not all reports specify locality data or host plant associations. There is a need for biological studies of wireworms in agricultural settings and to update the Alaska records and distribution data on elaterids. Information on species composition, distribution, and population dynamics will aid in the development of integrated pest management programs (IPM) for elaterids in Alaska. The development of IPM strategies for Alaska is of particular interest since it is expected that insect populations will increase with climate change. In this work we report on the species composition, seasonal biology, and geographic distribution of adult elaterids associated with potato production in Alaska. Twelve species from ten genera were collected including three of the six most economically important genera in terms of potato production in the USA (i.e., Ctenicera, Hypnoidus, and Limonius ). The species collected include: Ampedus apicatus (Say), Ampedus nigrinus (Herbst), Athous rufiventris (Eschscholtz), Corymbitodes lobatus (Eschscholtz), Ctenicera resplendens (Eschscholtz), Hypnoidus abbreviatus (Say), Hypnoidus bicolor (Eschscholtz), Limonius pectoralis (LeConte), Neohydonus spp., Pseudanostrius propolus (LeConte), Selatosomus morulus (LeConte), and Sericus incongruus (LeConte). Ninety-seven percent of the specimens collected belong to two genera, Hypnoidus (59.6%) and Limonius (36.5%). Forty-eight percent of the specimens were collected from the Palmer area, 37% from Fairbanks, and 14% from Delta Junction. Only one specimen of A. rufiventris and four of H. bicolor were collected from the subsistence farm in Wiseman.

Technical Abstract: Adult elaterids associated with potato production were collected in the three major potato producing areas of Alaska: Fairbanks, Delta Junction, and Palmer, and from a subsistence farm above the arctic circle in Wiseman. Twelve species from ten genera were collected including three of the six most economically important genera in terms of potato production in the USA (i.e., Ctenicera, Hypnoidus, and Limonius ). The species collected include: Ampedus apicatus (Say), Ampedus nigrinus (Herbst), Athous rufiventris (Eschscholtz), Corymbitodes lobatus (Eschscholtz), Ctenicera resplendens (Eschscholtz), Hypnoidus abbreviatus (Say), Hypnoidus bicolor (Eschscholtz), Limonius pectoralis (LeConte), Neohydonus spp., Pseudanostrius propolus (LeConte), Selatosomus morulus (LeConte), and Sericus incongruus (LeConte). Ninety-seven percent of the specimens collected belong to two genera, Hypnoidus (59.6%) and Limonius (36.5%). Forty-eight percent of the specimens were collected from the Palmer area, 37% from Fairbanks, and 14% from Delta Junction. Only one specimen of A. rufiventris and four of H. bicolor were collected from the subsistence farm in Wiseman.