Survey on the infection of wheat and maize by larvae of wireworms of Agriotes and Athous genera (Coleoptera : Elateridae) in some areas of West France.

Wheat was often attacked by wireworms. Observations were made from 1996 to 1998 one hundred and ten cultivated fields in the west of France. We have e stimated the larval population by using traps and we noted the insecticides factors for each field. The results of the captures show that 39 fields ar e infested with Agriotes larvae, 21 fields are infested with Athous larvae and 39 fields are infested with both genera. We show that two years of inse cticide treatement has an effect on the decrease of the Agriotes population . Athous larvae are still present in the maize-wheat rotation parcels which are regularly treated; they attack the wheat and do not seem to be attract ed by maize.