Definition

wireworms are soil beetles whose underground larvae, called “wireworms”, inflict significant damage to a wide variety of crops. These larvae, hard, elongated and yellowish, attack underground roots, crowns and stems, causing plants to weaken or even die prematurely. wireworms are widespread and difficult to detect without observation of the ground.

Development Lifecycle

1. 1. Egg : laid in the ground in summer, close to the roots.

   2. Larva : pest stage; lasts 3 to 5 years depending on the species.

   3. Pupation : occurs in the soil, before the adult emerges.

   4. Adult : dark brown beetle, not very harmful.

   5. Multiplication : slow, but larvae can remain active for several years.

Symptoms

• Yellowing of the central leaf, especially on young plants.

• Wilting or sudden death of the plant.

• Rounded , clear galleries in roots, collars or tubers.

• Poor recovery of young plants after transplanting.

• Significant reduction in crop yield and quality .

Contributing factors

• Moist soils rich in organic matter.

• Presence of weeds or residues of old crops.

• Previous crops favourable to wireworms (e.g., meadow, maize, potato).

• Lack of crop rotation or deep tillage.

Preventive control

• Crop rotation with less susceptible species.
• Deep tillage to expose larvae to natural predators.
• Mowing and weed control before sowing.
• Avoid sensitive crops after meadows or fallows.

Cultivation methods

• False sowing and then destruction before cultivation.
• Use of bait traps (buried potatoes or beets) to assess larval pressure.

Chemical control

• Spot treatments or seed treatments, but regulated and increasingly restricted.
• Application of bio-insecticide products under experimentation (e.g. entomopathogenic nematodes).

Ipm

• Monitoring and targeted intervention based on thresholds of harm.
• Association of sustainable cultural, organic and chemical practices.

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