Exotic Wireworms, Agriotes lineatus, A. obscurus

The larvae (wireworms) of two species of European click beetles, Agriotes lineatus and A. obscurus , are considered among Europe's most destructive insects of cultivated plants. They have been known to be present in British Columbia, Nova Scotia and other Maritime Provinces of Canada since 1950, and have more recently been discovered in Washington and Oregon.

Agriotes wireworms have a broad host range, attacking strawberries, legumes, ornamentals and most vegetables, including potatoes and cole crops. In the spring, wireworms bore into seeds or underground stems of seedlings and transplants, and later in the growing season, bore tunnels up to two inches deep in developing roots, tubers or bulbs.

Wireworms can live up to 6 years in the soil before pupating and emerging as adults. Their favorite habitat is grassland or pasture, where they will feed on plant roots and other organic material while building up their populations. When a field is replaced with another crop, the wireworms from the soil will attack the crop.

For more information visit these sites:

Washington State Department of Agriculture
Government of British Columbia

If you suspect exotic wireworms presence or damage, please contact the Maine Department of Agriculture, (207) 287-3891.

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Exotic Wireworms, Agriotes lineatus, A. obscurus

For more information visit these sites: