Dispersion behavior and oviposition of adult western corn rootworm after an early maize harvest

Giselher Grabenweger1 & Michael Zellner2 Introduction An early harvest of maize, at a time when flight period of Western Corn Rootworm is still in progress, may trigger migratory flights of adults out of the harvested plots into adjacent maize fields. If the migrating beetles are females, they may lay a considerable portion of their egg load into the invaded fields. This harvest-driven migration may be disadvantageous in eradication or containment programmes against the quarantine pest insect.