title: Climatic, Edaphic Factors and Cropping History Help Predict Click Beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) (Agriotes spp.) Abundance.
abstract: It is assumed that the abundance of Agriotes wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) is affected by agro-ecological factors such as climatic and edaphic factors and the crop/previous crop grown at the sites investigated. The aim of this study, conducted in three different geographic counties in Croatia from 2007 to 2009, was to determine the factors that influence the abundance of adult click beetle of the species Agriotes brevis Cand., Agriotes lineatus (L.), Agriotes obscurus (L.), Agriotes sputator (L.), and Agriotes ustulatus Schall. The mean annual air temperature, total rainfall, percentage of coarse and fine sand, coarse and fine silt and clay, the soil pH, and humus were investigated as potential factors that may influence abundance. Adult click beetle emergence was monitored using sex pheromone traps (YATLORf and VARb3). Exploratory data analysis was preformed via regression tree models and regional differences in Agriotes species' abundance were predicted based on the agro-ecological factors measured. It was found that the best overall predictor of A. brevis abundance was the previous crop grown. Conversely, the best predictor of A. lineatus abundance was the current crop being grown and the percentage of humus. The best predictor of A. obscurus abundance was soil pH in KCl. The best predictor of A. sputator abundance was rainfall. Finally, the best predictors of A. ustulatus abundance were soil pH in KCl and humus. These results may be useful in regional pest control programs or for predicting future outbreaks of these species.
authors.affiliation: Croatian Centre for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Institute for Plant Protection, Rim 98, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia antonela.kozina@hcphs.hr.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kozina
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Zoology, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lemic
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Zoology, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bazok
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mikac
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mclean
authors.affiliation: Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, trg Sv. Trojstva 3, 31000 Osijek, Croatia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ivezić
authors.affiliation: Chromos Agro d.d., Radnička cesta 173n, 10 002 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Igrc Barčić
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D002980:Climate; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000502:physiology*; D017523:Croatia; D008954:Models, Biological; D011156:Population Density; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: Abundance; Agro-ecological factor; Click beetle; Prediction; Regression tree