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Management Of Wireworms In Sweet Potatoes With Persistent Ny Entomopathogenic Nematodes, Elson Shields, Antonio Testa, Teresa Rusinek, Charles Bornt

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Wireworms are the larval stages of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) and common polyphagous soil dwelling pests feeding on different plant parts including seeds, roots, stems, and tubers inhibiting plant growth eventually leading to plant death. With the ban of persistent synthetic insecticides such as lindane in 2009 due to negative effects on the environment, no effective control tactics (chemical or biological) are available for wireworms. Some entomopathogenic nematode species/strains have been reported to attack wireworms in the soil, causing death. Non-native EPN species have the advantage of being easily available commercial products for insect pest control. However, these strains do …