insects Review Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) in Europe: Current Status and Sustainable Pest Management Renata Bažok 1 , Darija Lemi´c 1 , Francesca Chiarini 2 and Lorenzo Furlan 2,* 1 Department for Agricultural Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetosimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
[email protected] (R.B.);
[email protected] (D.L.) 2 Veneto Agricoltura, Agricultural Research Department, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +39-049-829-3879 Simple Summary: Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, also known as western corn rootworm (WCR), is a maize-specific pest that has been a serious threat in Europe since the mid-1990s. Between 1995 and 2010, European countries were involved in international projects to plan pest control strategies. However, since 2011, collaborative efforts have declined and the overview of knowledge on WCR is in great need of updating. Therefore, a review of scientific papers published between 2008 and 2020, in addition to direct interviews with experts responsible for WCR management in several European countries, was conducted to (1) summarize the research conducted over the last 12 years and (2) describe the current WCR distribution and population in the EU, and the management strategies implemented. A considerable amount of new knowledge has been gained over the last 12 years, which has contributed to the development of pest management strategies applicable in EU agricultural systems. There is no EU country reporting economic damage on a large scale. In many countries, solutions based on crop rotation are regularly implemented, avoiding insecticide Citation: Bažok, R.; Lemi´c,D.; use.