Corn wireworm Melanotus communis Gyllenhal (Insecta: Coleoptera: Elateridae)

Harsimran K. Gill, Gurminder Chahil, Gaurav Goyal, Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman, and Ronald Cherry

Release Date: 11/6/2024

DOI: 10.32473/edis-in1025-2014

Agriculture

Abstract

Insects in the family Elateridae are commonly known as click beetles. Their name comes from the clicking sound they make while attempting to right themselves after falling or being placed on their backs. The larvae of click beetles are called wireworms. The corn wireworm is a serious agricultural pest and was added to the EPPO A1 action list of quarantine pests in 2002. This 6-page fact sheet was written by Harsimran K. Gill, Gurminder Chahil, Gaurav Goyal, Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman, and Ronald Cherry, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, January 2014.

About this Publication

This document is EENY584, one of a series of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date January 2014. Revised March 2020 and June 2024. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication. This document is also available on the Featured Creatures website at https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/.

About the Authors

Harsimran K. Gill, postdoctoral research associate; Gurminder Chahil; Gaurav Goyal, postdoctoral research associate; Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman, assistant Extension scientist; and Ronald Cherry, professor; Department of Entomology and Nematology, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

How to Cite

Gill, H. K., Chahil, G., Goyal, G., Gillett-Kaufman, J. L., & Cherry, R. (2014). Corn wireworm Melanotus communis Gyllenhal (Insecta: Coleoptera: Elateridae). EDIS, 2014(1). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in1025-2014

Authors

Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman

instructional associate professor, Ph.D., Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, former UF/IFAS Extension scientist, integrated pest management, olives, Department of Entomology and Nematology

Harsimran Gill

former post-doc research associate, UF/IFAS Department of Entomology and Nematology

Gaurav Goyal

former post-doc research associate, Department of Entomology and Nematology