Soil-pest
Guides
Agriotes sparsus
Western Wireworm
Agriotes sparsus is a click beetle in the family Elateridae, commonly known as the Western Wireworm. The species is native to western North America and has been recorded in British Columbia, Canada. Like other members of the genus Agriotes, the larval stage is a wireworm—a soil-dwelling pest that feeds on plant roots and tubers. The species is of agricultural concern due to its potential to damage crops.
Limonius
click beetles, wireworms (larval stage)
Limonius is a genus of click beetles in the family Elateridae, containing at least 30 described species. The larvae, known as wireworms, are significant agricultural pests in North America, particularly affecting root vegetables and cereals. Many species formerly placed in this genus have been reassigned to other genera such as Gambrinus. Research on Limonius has focused on both the damaging larval stage and the adult stage, including pheromone-based trapping and molecular gut content analysis to understand feeding ecology.
Limonius auripilis
Red-Shouldered Wireworm
Limonius auripilis is a species of click beetle in the family Elateridae, commonly known as the Red-Shouldered Wireworm. The larval stage, referred to as wireworms, are soil-dwelling pests known to damage agricultural crops. The species has been documented in Ontario and Québec, Canada. Research has examined pheromone-based trapping methods for monitoring and managing this and related Limonius species.
Melanotus depressus
wireworm
Melanotus depressus is a wireworm species in the click beetle family Elateridae, first described by Melsheimer in 1844. The larval stage, known as wireworms, are soil-dwelling pests that feed on plant roots and tubers. Laboratory studies have examined their feeding behavior and growth under varying environmental conditions including temperature, photoperiod, and dietary regimes.
Melanotus longulus longulus
Melanotus longulus longulus is a subspecies of click beetle in the family Elateridae. Like other members of the genus Melanotus, it belongs to a group commonly referred to as wireworms in their larval stage. The species is part of a complex of soil-dwelling beetles that are agricultural pests in North America. Limited specific information is available for this subspecies compared to the broader species complex.
Scaptocoris
burrowing bugs, burrower bugs
Scaptocoris is a genus of burrowing bugs in the family Cydnidae, currently containing at least seven described species in the Neotropical region. Species in this genus are economically important soil-borne pests that feed on plant roots using piercing-sucking mouthparts. They exhibit distinctive behavioral adaptations including vertical migration in soil in response to moisture availability and flight dispersal during rainy periods. The genus has been documented attacking crops including soybean, cotton, corn, rice, and various pasture grasses across South America.