DNA Barcoding to Improve the Species-Level Management of Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

Abstract

Economically important species of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) were successfully associated with adults using cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcoding, proving the usefulness of this technique to associate life stages in taxonomically difficult pest groups. Previously unrecognized and morphologically difficult, even indistinguishable, pest larvae were shown to be identifiable using this technique. This is a critical step toward discovering effective species-based integrated pest management strategies for this resurgent pest group following the loss of Lindane seed treatments. Three new adult-larval associations were discovered for Hadromorphus callidus (Brown), Hemicrepidius carbonatus (LeConte) and Metanomus insidiosus (LeConte). Hypnoidus bicolor (Eschscholtz) was shown to comprise multiple divergent lineages at a level usually considered different species, indicating that the population structure of some pest species requires more investigation. The status of the prairie grain wireworm, Selatosomus destructor (Brown), as a full species or as a subspecies of Selatosomus aeripennis (Kirby) is called into question.

DNA barcodes for bio-surveillance: regulated and economically important arthropod plant pests

“…Pest regulation and management DNA barcoding is gaining broad application in integrated pest management (IPM) (Etzler et al 2014) and bio-surveillance (Jones et al 2013) programs as the standard method for species identification by "matching unknown against the known" (Armstrong 2010). This is evidenced by the development of barcode-based kits for the identification of quarantine pests (Ye et al 2015).…”

Molecular characterization and identification of three stored grain pests based on mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences

“…A novel methodology known as DNA barcoding has the potential to mitigate the challenges posed by identification of insect pests (Hanner 2009, Rugman-Jones 2009, Gariepy 2007, Quicke 2012, Sethusa et al 2014. DNA barcoding is gaining broad application in integrated pest management (IPM) (Etzler et al 2014) programs as the standard method for species identification by "matching unknown against the known" (Ball et al 2006). DNA barcoding involves the PCR amplification and sequencing of a key genetic marker from a given specimen (Gariepy 2007).…”

A DNA barcode library of the beetle reference collection (Insecta: Coleoptera) in the National Science Museum, Korea

“…Currently, molecular studies of insects, including Coleoptera, are being conducted on various taxa (Chang et al 2014;Etzler et al 2014;Oba et al 2015). Most domestic museums, public institutions and university laboratories, and Korean Ministry of Environment have specimens that can be morphologically identified with DNA extraction, because they can be utilized as bioresources in biological industries.…”