Linking crop history to Melanotus communis (Coleoptera: Elateridae) abundance in North Carolina and Virginia agroecosystems

Authors: SCHOEPPNER, EMMA - North Carolina State University College Of Veterinary Medicine; KUHAR, TOM - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University; DOUGHTY, HELENE - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University; Williams Iii, Livy; MILLAR, JOCELYN - University Of California, Riverside; HUSETH, ANDERS - North Carolina State University College Of Veterinary Medicine

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2025
Publication Date: 9/22/2025
Citation: Schoeppner, E., Kuhar, T.P., Doughty, H., Williams Iii, L.H., Millar, J.G., Huseth, A. 2025. Linking crop history to Melanotus communis (Coleoptera: Elateridae) abundance in North Carolina and Virginia agroecosystems. Environmental Entomology. 10.1093. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaf092.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaf092

Interpretive Summary: The corn wireworm is an important pest of potato and sweetpotato in the southeastern United States. This insect has become increasingly problematic throughout North America in recent years, in part due to the lack of effective management strategies. For example, the impact of habitat proximity to surrounding crop fields on corn wireworm abundance remains unclear. Improved risk assessment models to forecast populations as they relate to land use will aid in determining where fields are most vulnerable to damage, enabling more precise management interventions. Between 2022 and 2024, traps baited with a corn wireworm attractant were used to monitor corn wireworm beetle activity during the summer growing season across 41 locations in North Carolina and Virginia. Trap capture data were coupled with remotely sensed land use data to correlate adult corn wireworm activity to surrounding habitats. Results showed that corn wireworm abundance was positively associated with the proportion of land area planted to corn. These findings were consistent with prior field studies that showed that corn is a preferred host. In 2024, we expanded the study to better understand the prevalence of corn surrounding potato or sweetpotato fields on corn wireworm abundance. Results from 2884 fields showed clear location-specific associations of potato or sweetpotato fields that include corn as an abundant land use type over the prior 5 years. This study provides a methods framework for expanding traditional pest-crop landscape studies to better communicate infestation risk to stakeholders over broad regions.

Technical Abstract: Melanotus communis Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Elateridae) is a significant wireworm pest of potato and sweetpotato in the southeastern United States. However, the impact of habitat proximity to surrounding crop fields on M. communis abundance remains unclear in this system. More refined risk assessment models to forecast populations as they relate to land use will aid in determining where fields are most vulnerable to damage, enabling more precise management interventions. Between 2022 and 2024, traps baited with M. communis sex pheromone were used to monitor adult male activity for ~10 wk across 41 locations in North Carolina and Virginia. We combined trap data with remotely sensed land use data to correlate M. communis adult activity to surrounding habitats. The dependent variable used in models was overall mean abundance per location. Abundance was positively associated with the average proportional area of corn over 5 years. These results are consistent with prior field-scale studies that showed that corn is a preferred host. Model estimates were expanded to understand the frequency of corn surrounding 2884 potato or sweetpotato fields in 2024. Results showed clear spatial structuring of potato or sweetpotato fields that include corn as an abundant land use type over the prior 5 years. This study provides a methods framework for expanding traditional landscape studies to communicate infestation risk over broad regions.