DISTRIBUTION OF CLICK BEETLES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROL MEASURES IN POTATO FIELDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36103/8z33vm07Keywords:
Wireworms, Resistant potato varieties, Biological efficacy, Systemic insecticides, Beetle communityAbstract
The studies were conducted at the Aragatsotn region of the Republic of Armenia during the years 2021-2024. Four species of click beetles (family Elateridae) belonging to the order Coleoptera of the class Insecta were recorded. The most widespread species was the sowing click beetle (Agriotes sputator L.), making up 56%. The steppe click beetles (Agriotes gurgistanus Fald.) accounted for 25% of the total population. The striped (Agriotes lineatus L.) and dark (Agriotes obscurus L.) click beetles were relatively less common, constituting 14% and 5%, respectively. Based on the analysis of the damage caused by wireworms to the tubers of different potato varieties it can be concluded that the Impala and Arizona varieties are more resistant to the phytophagous pest. These varieties are recommended for cultivation in potato farms. Nuprid (0.2 L/t), Kruiser (0.2 L/t), and Force (15 kg/ha) demonstrate high biological efficacy against wireworms, showing effectiveness comparable to the standard variant, Prestige (1.0 L/t).
References
1. Agricultural Encyclopedia (Armenian Encyclopedia). Yerevan, 2015. pp. 25-27 and 39-41 (in Armenian)
2. Amir, H., A., S. S. E. A. Zaidi, S. Shakir, and S. Mansoor, 2018. Applications of new breeding technologies for potato improvement. Frontiers in plant science, 9, 925. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.00925
3. Anton, H., A. and P. C. Struik. 2015. Yield levels of potato crops: recent achievements and future prospects." Field Crops Research 182 : 76-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2015.06.002
4. Allemann, J., S. M. Laurie, S. Thiart, H. J. Vorster, and C. H. Bornman, 2004. Sustainable production of root and tuber crops (potato, sweet potato, indigenous potato, cassava) in southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 70(1), 60-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0254-6299(15)30307-0
5. Andre, C. M., S. Legay, C. Iammarino, J. Ziebel, C. Guignard, Y. Larondelle, and L. M. Miranda, 2014. The potato in the human diet: a complex matrix with potential health benefits. Potato Research, 57(3), 201-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-015-9287-3
6. Abbas, S, A., and Z. Hajibarat, 2020. Application of Next Generation Sequencing, GWAS, RNA seq, WGRS, for genetic improvement of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) under drought stress. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 29, 101801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2020.101801
7. Antal Nagy, András Horváth and Kálmán Szanyi. 2023. Distribution of economically important click beetles and the first record of Agriotes sordidus Illiger in Hungary․ Journal of Central European Agriculture, 2023, 24(4): 899-907․ DOI: /10.5513/JCEA01/24.4.3965
8. Bob V., and W. Van. 2022. Insect Pests of Potato (Second Herk Edition) Global Perspectives on Biology and Management, pp:103-148․ https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-821237-0.00020-2
9. Brunner M., R. Favaro, W. G. van Herk, P. Bogaerts, O.R. Rubbmark, S. Angeli and M. Traugott. 2025. Olfactory preference in chemical host plant recognition by male and female click beetles and its implications for pest management. Pest Management Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.8817
10. Fanny Barsics, Eric Haubruge, François J Verheggen. 2013. Wireworms’ Management: An Overview of the Existing Methods, with Particular Regards to Agriotes spp. (Coleoptera: Elateridae)․ Insects. 25;4 (1):117–152. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects4010117
11. Furlan L., B. Contiero and F. Chiarini. 2020. The use of click beetle pheromone traps to optimize the risk assessment of wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) maize damage. Sci Rep 10, 8780. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-64347-z
12. Goncharov N. R. 2017. Methodological approaches to the economic evaluation of the effectiveness of plant protection measures in a separate experiment. Plant Protection Bulletin 3(93) , pp: 44–54 (In Russian)
13. Guseva O. G., A. M. Shpanev and A. G. Koval. 2020. Click Beetles (Coleoptera, Elateridae) under the Conditions of Anthropogenic Land scape Transformation. Russ J Ecol 51. pp:266–274 https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413620030091
14. Guidelines for Testing Insecticides, Acaricides, and Molluscicides in Crop Production. Moscow: VIZR, 1986. 278 p. (in Russian)
15. Huiting H. F. and A. Ester 2009. Neonicotinoids as seed potato treatments to control wireworms. Commun. Agric. Appl. Biol. Sci.; 74:207–2016. PMID: 20218529.
16. Hatfield, P. L., & Pinter Jr, P. J. 1993. Remote sensing for crop protection. Crop protection, 12(6), 403-413. https://doi.org/10.1016/0261-2194(93)90001-Y
17. Johnson, S. N., E. A. Anderson, G. Dawson and D. W. Griffiths 2008. Varietal susceptibility of potatoes to wireworm herbivory// Agricultural and Forest Entomology. N 10.- P. 167-174. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-9563.2008.00372.x
18. Kabalak M. and O. Sert. 2009. A new Agriotes species (Coleoptera, Elateridae) from Turkey // Turk. J. Zool., N 33. P. 451-455. Doi:10.3906/zoo-0811-12
19. Kozlov M. V., A. S. Prosvirov and E. L. Zvereva., 2020. Can larvae of forest click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) feed on live plant roots?. Insects, 11(12), 850. doi.org/10.3390/insects11120850
20. Kuhar T. P. and J. M. Alvarez., 2008. Timing of injury and efficacy of soil-applied insecticides against wireworms on potato in Virginia. Crop Prot.; 27:792–798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2007.11.011
21. Laibner S. 2000. Elateridae of the Czech and Slovak Republics. 290p.
22. Lehmhus J. and F. Niepold., 2013. New finds of the click beetle Agriotes sordidus (Illiger, 1807) and an overview on its current distribution in Germany. Journal für Kulturpflanzen, 65, pp:309-314.
https://doi.org/10.5073/JFK.2013.08.02
23. Mamajanyan S. A., 2018. Methodology of agronomic research. Workbook for laboratory work, Yerevan, ANAU, 52 p. (in Armenian)
24. Manvelyan A., and M.Ghazaryan, 2023. Pests of the greenhouse economy and measures of struggle against them. Yerevan. NCEDI Foundation. 204 p. (in Armenian)
25. Mardjanyan M. A., 1987. Fauna of the Armenian SSR: Click Beetles (Elateridae). Yerevan: Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR. pp. 23-25 (in Russian)
26. McKenzie R.,H., 2015. Understanding agronomy research, Statistics. Link to web: https://www.topcropmanager.com/understanding-agronomy-research-statistics-16780/. February 18.
27. Merkl O. and J. Mertlik., 2005. Distributional notes and checklist of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from Hungary. Folia Entomologica Hungarica, 66, 63-80.
28. Nagy A., I. Szarukán, E. Lovász and I. Dávid., 2012. Study on the most important elaterid pests (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in Hungary 2012: species distribution and damage risk. Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 50 (Supplement), pp:119-126.
29. Orlov A. I., 2006. Applied Statistics. М. Ekzamen, 671 p. (in Russian)
30. Parker W. E. and J. J. Howard., 2002. The biology and management of wireworms (Agriotes spp.) on potato with particular reference to the UK Agricultural and Forest Entomology, 3(2), 85-98.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1461-9563.2001.00094.x
31. Pic M., E. Pierre, M. Martinez, G. Genson, J.Rasplus and H. Albert., 2008. Les taupins du genre Agriotes démasqués par leurs empreintes génétiques; Proceedings of AFPP - 8ème conférence internationale sur les ravageurs en agriculture; Montpellier, France. pp. 23–32.
32. Pikushova E. A. and E. Yu., Veretelnik. 2009. Guidelines for educational practice on the course: "Plant Protection" for 3rd year students, Faculty of Horticulture and Viticulture, specialty 110202, Krasnodar, Russia. 71p.
33. Platia G., 2010. New species and chorological notes of click beetles from the Palaearctic Re-gion, especially from the Middle East (Coleoptera, Elateridae). // Boln. S.E.A., N 48.- P. 23-49.
34. Platia G. and T. Nemeth., 2011. On some Palaearctic click beetles deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum (Coleoptera, Elateridae) // Ann. Hist. Nat. Mus. Nat. Hung., N 103. pp:65-106.
35. Polyakov I. Ya., M. M. Levitin and V. I., Tansky. 1995. Phytosanitary Diagnostics in Integrated Plant Protection. Moscow: Kolos, pp:207 (in Russian)
36. Pons X. and R. Albajes., 2002. Control of maize pests with imidacloprid seed dressing treatment in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula) under traditional crop conditions. Crop Prot.; 21:943–950. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-2194(02)00069-8
37. Singh, B., V. Bhardwaj, K. Kaur, S. Kukreja, and U. Goutam, 2021. Potato periderm is the first layer of defence against biotic and abiotic stresses: a review. Potato Research, 64(1), 131-146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-020-09468-8
38. Shelake, R. M., S. G. Wagh, A. M. Patil, J. Červený, R. R. Waghunde, and J. Y. Kim, 2024. Heat stress and plant–biotic interactions: advances and perspectives. Plants, 13(15), 2022. doi: 10.3390/plants13152022
39. Samal, I., T. K. Bhoi, P. K. Majhi, S. Murmu, A. K. Pradhan, D. Kumar, and T. A. Balawi, 2023. Combatting insects mediated biotic stress through plant associated endophytic entomopathogenic fungi in horticultural crops. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, 1098673. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.1098673
40. Sharma, H. C., J. H. Crouch, K. K Sharma, N. Seetharama, and C. T. Hash, 2002. Applications of biotechnology for crop improvement: prospects and constraints. Plant Science, 163(3), 381-395. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9452(02)00133-4
41. Sokolova, L. N., 2015. Research methods in plant protection - guidelines. Tiraspol. 42 p. (in Russian)
42. Thomas S. L., 2007. Effects of forest management on click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) assemblages in the Acadian forest of Maine. pp:193
43. Van der Waals, J. E., J. M. Steyn, A. C. Franke, and A. J. Haverkort, 2016. Grower perceptions of biotic and abiotic risks of potato production in South Africa. Crop Protection, 84, 44-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2016.02.008
44. Van Herk W. G. and R. S.,Vernon. 2007. Soil bioassay for studying behavioral responses of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) to insecticide-treated wheat seed. Environ. Entomol.; 36:1441–1449. doi: 10.1603/0046-225X(2007)36[1441:SBFSBR]2.0.CO;2.
45. Vernon R. S., 2005. Aggregation and mortality of Agriotes obscurus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) at insecticide-treated trap crops of wheat. J. Econ. Entomol.; 98:1999–2005. doi: 10.1603/0022-0493-98.6.1999.
46. Vernon, R. S., W. G. Van Herk, M. Clodius and C. Harding., 2011. Crop protection and mortality of Agriotes obscurus wireworms with blended insecticidal wheat seed treatments. J. Pest Sci.; 86: 137-150. doi: 10.1007/s10340-011-0392-z.
2.jpg)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5774-5906 
