Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 April 2012
Corn rootworms, Diabrotica Chevrolat spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), are major pests of corn, Zea mays L. (Poaceae), in North America. Overwintering eggs hatch in the spring, and larvae feed on the root system, where they complete development. Emergent adults feed on vegetative and reproductive aerial structures of corn and oviposit in soil cracks or at the base of plants. Although feeding on silks by adult corn rootworms reduces the yield of corn, most of the damage results from root injury caused by larval feeding (Levine and Oloumi-Sadeghi 1991).