Adults of Deilater have two light-producing spots on the thorax and one of the abdomen, somewhat similar to that of lightning bugs (Lampyridea). Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 76: 137-145.
After wireworm achieve full maturity during the summer, they will pupate in the soil, and the pupae will transform into click beetles after a few days.Wireworms would likely cause significant problems only in a proportion of a field. Threshold levels have been released based on the number of bait traps with wireworms. Wireworms are 1/2 to an inch long at maturity and easily visible in traps and occasionally may be found in or hanging from a potato tuber.Eggs are laid and pupa are formed deep in the ground; eggs are laid in grassy areas.Wireworms emerge in the soil and may survive for two to six years. Economic risk assessment are based on 3% of harvested tubers having wireworm holes. Fields with cereal cropping history, a history of grassy weed problems and newly cultivated soils need to be avoided to minimize wireworm problems.
Univ Idaho Coop Ext Circ #760.Complications dealing with wireworm life cycles and biology make wireworms a difficult insect pest with which to deal.Because of wireworms long life cycle, growers need to be aware of the cropping history of a field and also the severity of grassy weed problems in all of the fields areas. Planting after an alfalfa field that has been in production for several years is excellent. Some elaterid species are biolu… In yards and gardens, click beetle larvae can harm fruits, vegetables, decorative plant bulbs, or lawn turf by drilling into tubers or eating away roots. Although not reported, personal observations suggest wireworm preferences for different varieties. Wireworms are the larvae of many species in several genera called click beetles. Wireworms cause the damage not the adult click beetles. Soil sampling and baiting are somewhat effective at determining if wireworms are present in fields to be planted to potato. In the winter, they survive about two feet deep and as the temperature worms move up through the ground to the top two to three inches of soil. The larvae live in the soil from two to six years. Click beetle larvae, called wireworms, are usually saprophagous, living on dead organisms, but some species are serious agricultural pests, and others are active predators of other insect larvae. Since every geographic location has its own set of species, to know which wireworms are causing damage to potato, it is necessary to trap them and identify those in the potato field. * Adult - click beetles comprises many genera of insects* Wireworms survive in the ground for up to six years* Wireworms eat holes in tubers and other underground organs* Biological - avoid field, plant after several years of alfalfaSome parts of this site work best with JavaScript enabled.UNL web framework and quality assurance provided by the Some click beetles are large and colorful, but most are under 2 centimeters long and brown or black, without markings. Foliar treatments are not effective nor available. On hot nights they may enter houses, but are not pests there. During the early stages lasting one to two years, wireworms are very small and white. There are six (three pairs) slender legs toward the head region. At the head, there is a pair of pincer-like protrusions. Eggs hatch within a few weeks and larvae develop through several molts over a period of time from several months to over 4 years. They do not have a particular taste for chipping potatoes nor for Shepody.If soil sampling or baiting indicate a significant presence of wireworms and planting in the field cannot be avoided, the options for wireworm control are to apply a pre-plant broadcast or planting-time application of an insecticide.
When baited traps have two to four wireworms on the average, the level is considered very high and the application of a chemical at planting is often recommended. Mature larvae lasting two to six years are hard-shelled with dark transverse bands along the length of their body.
Control of wireworms is difficult resulting in high use rates and incomplete control.
For instance, wireworms have a distinct liking for Krantz and seem to have a moderate preference for Russet Norkotah.