Volume 19(1), 91- 97, 2015 JOURNAL of Horticulture, Forestry and Biotechnology www.journal-hfb.usab-tm.ro

Monitoring of six click in areas suitable for the installing of shelterbelts in Banat’s plain region

Fora C.G.1, Zellner M.2, Lauer K.F.1, Stanciu S.3, Moatăr M.1, Berar C.1

1Faculty of Horticulture and Forestry Timişoara; 2Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Institute for Plant Protection; 3Faculty of Farm Management Timişoara

*Corresponding author.Email:[email protected]

Abstract Evaluation of click beetles population in the moment that it Key words decided it to install protective shelterbelts is a “sine qua non” condition. The easier method is to evaluate the beetles number by using the pheromone wire worms, populations, traps. In Banat’s plain region, 6 species of click beetles are more pheromone trap representative: A. brevis, A. lineatus, A. obscurus, A. sordidus, A. sputator, A. ustulatus. From all of them, A. sordidus and A. ustulatus formed the majority of Agriotes population. The lowest numerical species was A. lineatus.

The genus Agriotes Esch. (Coleoptera: Elateridae: is often heavily damaged by a rich complex of pests ) is one of the richest genus of the tribe that attack in the soil, or at the level of soil [10]. Agriotini Champion [3]. According to present literature Taking into account these aspects in our paper we want [15]; [4]; [13]; [8];[7]; [17]; [5],[6]; [11]; [16], there to know which is the click behavior and are 59 species of this genus in Romania, main species potential in study area. reported as pest being , , , Agriotes ustulatus. Material and Method The multiple benefits of field protective shelterbelts are known [2]; [18]. Even in western part To monitoring the click beetles A. brevis, A. of Romania, in “Câmpia Banatului” region, planting lineatus, A. obscurus, A. sordidus, A. sputator, A. field protective shelterbelts become a necessity. In first ustulatus, was used traps (figure 1) baited with period of shelterbelts life, trees and bushes species are synthetic pheromones produced by Csalomon company host-plants for diverse soil pests, click beetles playing from Hungary. an important role by the point of damage potential. For example, in the forestry nurseries, biological material

Fig.1. Csalomon trap for click beetles

At the beginning of the season, in April, traps and caught beetles token in plastic boxes and analyzed have been installed in field, in 3 different locations, in laboratory. The description of Chernozem soil from area named “Câmpia Banatului” and were active conditions in researches areas Grabat, Lovrin and until September. Traps have been visited periodically Voiteg is presented in table 1.

91 Table 1 Soil characteristics in research plots (Marinca et al., 2009) Location Grabat Lovrin Voiteg Parameters Sand (%) 52 33 29 Clay (%) 36 52 54 Compaction (%) -4 11 15 pH 8.2 7.3 6.2 Humus (%) 3.1 3.4 3

Results and Discussions brevis, A. lineatus, A. obscurus, A. sordidus, A. sputator, A. ustulatus. Presence of adult is the indicator Click beetles studied in our research were of biological reserve of wireworms in the soil [12]; [1]. found in all sampling plots in different levels, its flight The use the pheromone traps allow us to capture a being irregular on all growing season. Results of number of 4.458 beetles belonging to 6 species: A. captures are presented in table 2.

Table 2 Species composition in research plots from “Câmpia Banatului” Species Caught Average+Sd % beetles no. from total Grabat A. brevis 84 10,5+17,4601 4,8 A. lineatus 5 0,625+1,4078 0,3 A. obscurus 79 9,875+17,8840 4,6 A. sordidus 1330 166,25+253,3764 76,6 A. sputator 3 0,375+0,7440 0,2 A. ustulatus 234 29,25+65,2659 13,5 Lovrin

A. brevis 28 3,5+3,9641 1,3

A. lineatus 14 1,75+3,1052 0,7

A. obscurus 172 21,5+39,1042 8,2

A. sordidus 1657 207,125+198,8354 78,6 A. sputator 11 1,375+2,5035 0,5 A. ustulatus 226 28,25+41,9753 10,7 Voiteg A. brevis 65 8,125+17,8280 10,6 A. lineatus 7 0,875+0,9910 1,1 A. obscurus 36 4,5+9,1807 5,9 A. sordidus 152 19+27,4746 24,7 A. sputator 201 25,125+61,2942 32,7 A. ustulatus 154 19,25+48,4701 25

A. brevis have intense flight between middle found in flight to the middle of April to the end of July. of April and middle of May (figure 2). Beetles can be The pick of flight was is 29 of April.

92 A. brevis

60

50

40 Grabat 30 Lovrin Voiteg 20

Caught betles no. betles Caught 10

0 15.04. 29.04. 09.05. 22.05. 06.06. 23.06. 07.07. 21.07.

Fig. 2. Agriotes brevis flight in 2014

A. lineatus have intense flight between Beetles can be found in flight to the middle of April to beginning of June and beginning of July (figure 3). the end of July. The pick of flight was is 23 of June.

A. lineatus

10 9 8 7 6 Grabat 5 Lovrin 4 Voiteg 3

2 Caught beetles no. beetles Caught 1 0 15.04. 29.04. 09.05. 22.05. 06.06. 23.06. 07.07. 21.07.

Fig. 3. Agriotes lineatus flight in 2014

A. obscurus have intense flight between Beetles can be found in flight to the middle of April to beginning of June and beginning of July (figure 4). the end of July. The pick of flight was is 23 of June.

93 A. obscurus

120

100

80 Grabat 60 Lovrin Voiteg 40

Caught beetles no. beetles Caught 20

0 15.04. 29.04. 09.05. 22.05. 06.06. 23.06. 07.07. 21.07.

Fig. 4. Agriotes obscurus flight in 2014

A. sordidus have intense flight between of May. A possible explanation for this behavior is middle of May and middle of July (figure 5), with existence in proximity of our research plot of old exception of Lovrin place, where the flight was intense shelterbelt, where pest can find good condition for almost on all season. Beetles can be found in flight to wintertime, even if in agricultural field the intensive the middle of April to the end of July. The pick of plant protection measures are applied. Otherwise, in flight was is 23 of June. The exception was in Lovrin, Lovrin site, majority of studied click beetles found where in addition recorded first pick of flight was in 29 good conditions for life cycle.

A. sordidus

700 600 500 Grabat 400 Lovrin 300 Voiteg 200

Caught beetes no. beetes Caught 100 0 15.04. 29.04. 09.05. 22.05. 06.06. 23.06. 07.07. 21.07.

Fig. 5. flight in 2014

A. sputator have intense flight between middle found in flight to the middle of April to the end of July. of April and middle of May (figure 6). Beetles can be The pick of flight was is 29 of April.

94 A. sputator

200 180 160 140 120 Grabat 100 Lovrin 80 Voiteg 60

40 Caught beetles no. beetles Caught 20 0 15.04. 29.04. 09.05. 22.05. 06.06. 23.06. 07.07. 21.07.

Fig. 6. Agriotes sputator flight in 2014

A. ustulatus have intense flight between the be found in flight to the middle of April to the end of end of May and middle of July (figure 7). Beetles can July. The pick of flight was is 23 of June.

A. ustulatus

200 180 160 140 120 Grabat 100 Lovrin 80 Voiteg 60

40 caught beetles no. beetles caught 20 0 15.04. 29.04. 09.05. 22.05. 06.06. 23.06. 07.07. 21.07.

Fig. 7. Agriotes ustulatus flight in 2014

Intensive appearance time is different on studied middle of July). The other species like, A. brevis and A. species. The first ones by this point of view are A. sputator develop intensive flight in about 30 days from brevis and A. sputator according with Rădescu and the middle of April to middle of May, or A. obscurus Roşca (2010). That was followed by A. sordidus and A. and A. lineatus in about 30 days from the middle of ustulatus and late by A. lineatus and A. obscurus. June to middle of July. This behavior is reflected in The flight activity show that the development population levels. of species is different in time and is an example of From all studied species better represented survives strategy and optimum using of life spacing. was A. sordidus (70%), followed by A. ustulatus The longest intensive flight had A. sordidus (about 60 (14%), the others being each under 10% (figure 8). The days from middle of May to middle of July) and A. lowest participation of beetles in population had it A. ustulatus (about 45 days from the end of May to lineatus (under 1%).

95 3,90,7 13,8 6,4 A. brevis 4,8 A. lineatus A. obscurus A. sordidus A. sputator A. ustulatus

70,4

Fig. 8. The participation of click beetles in population

One of the reason that A. sordidus is better Acknowledgment represented is his biology. Rădescu and Roşca (2010), show that A. sordidus close life cycle in 2-3 years; A. This study was financed by the project no. 8432- obscurus in 4-5 years; A. ustulatus in 5 years. 294/2013 “Monitoring of the Elateridae population By the point of view of influence of soil from Western Romania”. We thank to land owners for characteristics (table 1) on click beetles population technical support and general permission. development (table 2), it can be observed that A. brevis, A. ustulatus prefers sandy, slightly alkaline Bibliography soils, with no compaction; A. sordidus, A. obscurus and A. lineatus prefers neutral soil reaction and high 1.Blackshaw R.P., Vernon R.S., 2008: Spatial quantity of humus; A. sputator prefers slightly acid relationships between two Agriotes click-beetle species soils with high quantity of humus. A. sordidus is very and wireworms in agricultural fields. Agr Forest sensitive on soil reaction and do not prefer slightly acid Entomol. 10:1-11. soils. 2.Dănescu F., Costăchescu C., Petrila M., 2007: Studiu de fundamentare a necesităţii instalării perdelelor Conclusions forestiere de protecţie a câmpului în judeţul Constanţa. Analele ICAS 50:299-316. According to field observations, field 3.Kabalak M., Sert O., Özgen İ, Platia G., 2013: A new conditions and analyzing the results from literature, it species of the Agriotes nuceus species group from can be formulated next conclusions: studied click Turkey. Journal of Science, 13:1-8. beetles were found in all experimental plots in different 4.Manolache F., Săpunaru T., Boguleanu G., levels; most representative species were A. sordidus Siniavschi I., 1969: Contribuţii la studiul ecologiei şi because of his biology, followed by A.ustulatus, A. combaterii viermilor sârmă la cartof. Anale ICPP. 283- obscurus, A. sputator, A. brevis and A. lineatus; first 297. appear A. brevis and A. sputator, after appear A. 5.Manole T., Dănulescu M., Bălan M., Hondru N., sordidus and A. ustulatus, and after appear A. lineatus Mărgărit, G., 1993: Răspândirea viermilor sârmã and A. obscurus; the longest intensive flight had A. (Coleoptera: Elateridae) în culturile de plante furajere sordidus (about 60 days from middle of May to middle din România. Anale ICPP. 16:55-62. of July) and A. ustulatus (about 45 days from the end 6.Manole T., Mărgărit G., Berchez M., Hondru N., of May to middle of July); A. brevis and A. sputator Chireceanu C., Dănulescu M., 1998: Spectrul speciilor develop intensive flight in about 30 days from the de insecte din familia Elateridae şi răspândirea middle of April to middle of May; A. obscurus and A. acestora în unele zone şi culturi agricole. Anale ICPP. lineatus in about 30 days from the middle of June to 26: 64-71. middle of July; in our region all beetles species can be 7.Mărgărit G., Hondru N., Maris R., Manole T., 1990: found in flight to the middle of April to the end of July. Spectrul şi structura elateridelor (Coleoptera) din zona Lugoj - jud. Timiş. Bull. Inf. ASAS. 19:217-223. 8.Mărgărit G., Hondru N., Tambrea C., 1988: Spectrul speciilor şi structura complexului de viermi sârmă

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