Belowground Chemical Ecology: The Case of Wireworms

Wireworms, clock-beetles' larvae (Coleoptera, Elateridae), are below ground pests of many crops. They cause dramatic yield losses worldwide. Research on their ecology is crucial to undertake innovative management strategies. In the field of chemical ecology, multitrophic interactions occurring in the rhizosphere are gaining increasing attention from entomologists and agronomists. Our research aims at unveiling the role of volatile organic compounds (VOC) involved in wireworms' foraging behavior, putatively leading to host localization and/or host recognition.