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Effects of soil preparation, food availability, and temperature on survival of Agriotes obscurus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) larvae in storage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2016

Wim van Herk*
Affiliation:
Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, P.O. Box 1000 Agassiz, British Columbia, V0M 1A0, Canada
Bob Vernon
Affiliation:
Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, P.O. Box 1000 Agassiz, British Columbia, V0M 1A0, Canada
Alison Perry
Affiliation:
Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, P.O. Box 1000 Agassiz, British Columbia, V0M 1A0, Canada
Kathryn Ryan
Affiliation:
Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, P.O. Box 1000 Agassiz, British Columbia, V0M 1A0, Canada
Andrea Chee
Affiliation:
Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, P.O. Box 1000 Agassiz, British Columbia, V0M 1A0, Canada
*
1 Corresponding author (e-mail: wim.vanherk@agr.gc.ca).

Abstract

Field collected wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) intended for laboratory studies often die during storage from Metarhizium Sorokin (Clavicipitaceae) infection and other causes. To determine optimal storage conditions for Agriotes obscurus (Linnaeus), freshly collected larvae were stored in regular and sterilised soil, with and without access to food (potato slices), at 12 °C and 16 °C, for six months to determine which conditions resulted in the lowest wireworm mortality. Survival was highest when wireworms were stored in sterilised soil, at 12 °C, in the absence of food. Food availability increased wireworm mortality from Metarhizium infection and other causes, but decreased the number of missing wireworms. Wireworm weight change during the study was highest in treatments where wireworms had access to food. The expected effect of food deprivation on wireworm energetic state and immune response are discussed in context with these findings.

Type
Behaviour & Ecology - NOTE
Copyright
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2016 

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Footnotes

Subject editor: Justin Schmidt

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