Article
Entomology
Ryan W. Geisert, Man P. Huynh, Adriano E. Pereira, David I. Shapiro Ilan, Bruce E. Hibbard
Summary: Bioassays with newly hatched larval insects can be compromised by the feeding state of the larvae. Mortality monitoring assays can be negatively impacted by starvation effects on the larvae. The development of an improved artificial diet for western corn rootworm larvae offers a new bioassay method for evaluating entomopathogenic nematodes.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Entomology
Lance J. Meinke, Dariane Souza, Blair D. Siegfried
Summary: The structure of agricultural enterprises in the western United States Corn Belt has led to extensive insecticide use over time to manage the western corn rootworm, resulting in the evolution of resistance. Currently, insecticides have a reduced role in western corn rootworm management programs and need to be used in conjunction with other tactics.
Article
Entomology
Kyle J. Paddock, Kyle Dellamano, Bruce E. Hibbard, Kent S. Shelby
Summary: Insect resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins is a major concern in agriculture, and resistance mechanisms include loss of toxin binding sites, changes in gut microbiota, and midgut tissue regeneration. This study provides histopathological evidence for the first time showing the morphological response of Bt-resistant and Bt-susceptible western corn rootworm larvae to Bt intoxication, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of Bt resistance in these insects.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Jordan D. Reinders, Emily E. Reinders, Emily A. Robinson, Bryan W. French, Lance J. Meinke
Summary: The study confirms the first cases of field-evolved resistance to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 maize in Nebraska and documents a landscape-wide WCR Cry3Bb1 resistance pattern. Different populations of WCR showed varying levels of resistance to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 and Cry3Bb1 maize.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Martina Kadoic Balasko, Katarina M. Mikac, Hugo A. Benitez, Renata Bazok, Darija Lemic
Summary: The study aimed to identify reliable patterns of difference related to resistance type in western corn rootworm populations using population genetic and geometric morphometric approaches. The genetic analysis revealed some differences among resistant US populations, with limited genetic differentiation and structuring. Geometric morphometric results supported the genetic findings, showing similar wing shape in different genetic populations carrying resistance.
Article
Agronomy
Isaac Oyediran, Marlin E. Rice, Jared Conville, Eric Boudreau, Shannon Morsello, Tony Burd
Summary: In 2017 and 2018, studies showed that Bt corn hybrids expressing both mCry3A and eCry3.1Ab proteins provided better root protection and consistency against western corn rootworm compared to hybrids expressing only one of the proteins and non-Bt corn. Therefore, stacking of Bt traits is recommended for managing insect resistance.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Molly Darlington, Jordan D. Reinders, Amit Sethi, Albert L. Lu, Partha Ramaseshadri, Joshua R. Fischer, Chad J. Boeckman, Jay S. Petrick, Jason M. Roper, Kenneth E. Narva, Ana M. Velez
Summary: The western corn rootworm is an economically important pest of maize in the United States. Various management strategies have been used, but resistance has evolved, highlighting the need for new approaches. RNA interference technology is considered the next step in species-specific pest management.
Article
Agronomy
Krzysztof Krawczyk, Joanna Forys, Miroslaw Nakonieczny, Monika Tarnawska, Pawel K. Beres
Summary: This study confirmed the role of western corn rootworm as a vector of Pantoea ananatis, providing the first report of vectorization of P. ananatis by D. virgifera globally.
Article
Agronomy
Dariane Souza, Blair D. Siegfried, Lance J. Meinke, Nicholas J. Miller
Summary: The study revealed that P450-mediated metabolism is likely a major mechanism of WCR pyrethroid resistance, potentially affecting the efficacy of other insecticides with similar metabolic pathways. Additionally, results suggested that although laboratory selection of a pyrethroid-resistant WCR population may help to characterize resistance mechanisms, a field-selected population provided rare and potentially major variants corresponding to the resistance trait.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Adriano E. Pereira, Man P. Huynh, Alvar R. Carlson, Alexandra Haase, Robert M. Kennedy, Kent S. Shelby, Thomas A. Coudron, Bruce E. Hibbard
Summary: The western corn rootworm poses a serious threat to maize growers in the U.S. Corn Belt, with a need for new control strategies that are not cross-resistant with current insecticides and Bt proteins. Hv1a together with Cry3Bb1 may fit this role as a potential management tactic.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nuria Jimenez-Juarez, Jarred Oral, Mark E. Nelson, Albert L. Lu
Summary: IPD072Aa is a new insecticidal protein that shows high activity against western corn rootworm (WCR). It targets the cells of WCR midgut and causes cell death. This mechanism is different from the insecticidal proteins currently used in commercial traits to target WCR.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Karl A. Roeder, Jesse D. Daniels
Summary: This study measured the critical thermal limits, knock-down resistance, and chill coma recovery of western corn rootworm, and addressed methodological questions surrounding measurements of thermal tolerance. The results provide important insights for predicting the survival and potential spread of this pest under future climate change scenarios.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Antoine Pasquier, Lucie S. Monticelli, Adeline Moreau, Benjamin Kaltenbach, Candice Chabot, Thibault Andrieux, Maxime Ferrero, Elodie Vercken
Summary: The predatory mite Gaeolaelaps aculeifer showed potential to control Western Corn Rootworm in laboratory settings. Field trials revealed that releasing a lower number of mites in combination with an alternative food source can provide comparable results to pesticide application in managing this pest, highlighting a sustainable and cost-effective strategy.
Article
Agronomy
Kyle J. Paddock, Bruce E. Hibbard, Julie Barry, Amit Sethi, Ashley L. Mueller, Kent S. Shelby, Adriano E. Pereira
Summary: The susceptibility to Cry34/35Ab1 was restored within six generations in a Cry34/35Ab1-resistant WCR colony, indicating significant fitness costs associated with resistance. While larval fitness did not differ between resistant and susceptible colonies on isoline corn, beetles from susceptible colonies lived longer and produced significantly more eggs than resistant colonies, with no differences in egg fertility. This presence of a fitness cost may have a significant impact on the deployment of resistance management practices in WCR populations.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Man P. Huynh, Adriano E. Pereira, Ryan W. Geisert, Michael G. Vella, Thomas A. Coudron, Kent S. Shelby, Bruce E. Hibbard
Summary: The study investigated the effects of different temperatures and exposure times on the quality of western corn rootworm diet, showing that temperature changes have a non-linear impact on diet performance while exposure time length does not significantly affect the diet.