WIREWORM (COLEOPTERA, ELATERIDAE) INCIDENCE AND DIVERSITY IN IOWA CONSERVATION RESERVE ENVIRONMENTS

The extended fallow period required by conservation reserve program co ntracts will likely heighten farmers' concerns about pests when return ing acreage to production, particularly, wireworms (Coleoptera: Elater idae). An extensive sampling program was conducted to estimate wirewor m incidence and subsequent pest potential of wireworms in Iowa conserv ation reserve land. Eighty-nine fields were sampled during May and Jun e of 1995 and 1996, Wireworms were recovered from approximate to 45% o f conservation reserve fields. Bait sampling provided a more precise m eans of detecting wireworm presence than core sampling. The spatial di stribution of wireworms in Iowa, and con sequent crop damage, probably is less restricted by environment than previously thought. This is at tributable to the relatively large species diversity. Fourteen of the 15 elaterid species recovered have been associated with or are conside red serious pests of corn. As a result, integrated pest management tac tics, including insect pest scouting, will likely benefit the risk-ave rse grower in these newly converted lands.