Inter- and Intrafield Distribution of Cereal Leaf Beetle Species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Belgian Winter Wheat
- 1 February 2019
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Environmental Entomology
- Vol. 48 (2), 276-283
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvz002
Abstract
Cereal leaf beetles (CLBs), a group of chrysomelid beetles of the genus Oulema (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), are well-known pest insects of small-grain cereals in many countries of the Northern hemisphere. Due to the small differences in morphology of species within this genus, classification up to species level remains a challenging task. Since an accurate view of species composition is important for developing targeted control strategies, the goal of this study was to unravel the Oulema species composition in Flanders' wheat fields. During three subsequent years at a series of different fields, Oulema species were collected and classified up to species level (2016: 28 fields, 2017: 30 fields, and 2018: 23 fields). This study reveals that the population consists of four different species: Oulema melanopus, Oulema duftschmidi, and Oulema obscura were most frequently encountered, while Oulema rufocyanea was only marginally present. Furthermore, the population was highly dynamic, as the population share of each species varied between different growing seasons and between the various sampling events within each season. The distance from the field edge had a minor influence on the species composition, but the abundance of beetles increased with the distance to the field edge. A discriminant analysis revealed that based on the measurements of various body parts, an accurate classification up to species level is possible. In conclusion, we observed that the population densities fluctuated within and between years, resulting in variable incidence of CLB in winter wheat fields in the Flanders region.Keywords
This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit:
- Coinciding development of winter wheat and leaf beetles along an Alpine transectActa Oecologica, 2013
- Types of geographical distribution of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) in Central EuropeZooKeys, 2011
- Fifty Years of Cereal Leaf Beetle in the U.S.: An Update on Its Biology, Management, and Current ResearchJournal of Integrated Pest Management, 2011
- HOST RANGE OF LEMA CYANELLA (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE), A CANDIDATE FOR BIOCONTROL OF CANADA THISTLE, AND OF FOUR STENOPHAGOUS, FOREIGN THISTLE INSECTS IN NORTH AMERICAThe Canadian Entomologist, 1984
- Étude des populations d'Oulema melanopus L. et Oulema lichenis Weiss. (Coleoptères Chrysomelidae) sur blé dans la région parisienneAgronomy for Sustainable Development, 1983
- The Cereal Leaf Beetle in North AmericaAnnual Review of Entomology, 1981
- Ergebnisse von Untersuchungen zum Einfluß von Temperatur und Luftfeuchtigkeit auf die Mortalität einzelner Entwicklungsstadien der Getreidehähnchen (Oulemaspp.) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, 1979
- EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMMATURE STAGES OF THE CEREAL LEAF BEETLE, OULEMA MELANOPUS (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE)The Canadian Entomologist, 1978
- Ergebnisse von Untersuchungen über die Effektivtemperatursummen einzelner Entwicklungsstadien der Getreidehähnchen (Lemaspp.)Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, 1977
- The Within-Field Dynamics of the Cereal Leaf Beetle (Oulema melanopus (L.)) in Wheat and OatsJournal of Animal Ecology, 1974