A Comparison on Soil characteristics of the farms Infested to False Wireworms and True Wireworms in the East farms of Golestan Province

ABSTRACT: Wireworms are the larval stage of clickbeetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae). They are soil-dwelling pests which attack the germinated seeds and roots of seedlings which usually lead to plant death. More damage is observed in the fields used as pasture previously. False wireworms are larval stage of Alleculidae. Hosts for both wireworms are wheat, barley, canola, sunflower and melon in the east of Golestan province. In this study, soils infested to true wireworms of genus Agriotes and False wireworms of genus Omophlus were compared. Samples were collected from four regions Gonbad, Kalaleh, Maravehtappeh and Golidagh. These samples were collected from wheat fields, and also from Omophlus in sunflower fields at a depth of 0-30 cm. Although the two genus damage wheat and sunflower in some fields, but we have found more damage in wheat fields by Agriotes and in sunflower fields by Omophlus. Analysis of soil showed that because soil texture was light in all samples, no significant differences existed between soil type and soil infested to wireworms. In terms of the distribution of wireworms, they were observed in all heights of sampling regions.