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Horizontal migration of click beetle ( A griotes spp.) larvae depends on food availability
Author(s) -
Sonnemann Ilja,
Grunz Sonja,
Wurst Susanne
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1111/eea.12150
Subject(s) - biology , larva , cannibalism , foraging , crop , trap crop , ecology , agronomy , pest analysis , botany
It is generally thought that soil animals face specific foraging conditions because movement through soil is highly energy consuming. The hypothesis tested here is that root‐feeding click beetle larvae (wireworms, A griotes spp.; C oleoptera: E lateridae), to minimize energy loss, only migrate horizontally through soil when located in food‐depleted surroundings. Larvae were placed at either end of a root density gradient created by the grass H olcus lanatus L . ( P oaceae), and their position in the gradient was recorded after 12 days of migration. Larval migration depended on the food situation at the starting point, with larvae moving from food‐depleted to food‐rich areas, but not leaving food‐rich areas. Larvae spread further around food‐rich areas when together with conspecifics than when being alone, presumably to avoid cannibalism. Food density‐dependent migration may have to be taken into account when using trap‐crops to control A griotes larvae. Success may depend on the timing of trap‐crop establishment relative to the target crop to generate an effective food gradient.