Corn Rootworm: Biology, Ecology, Behavior and Integrated Management

Dear Colleagues,

Diabroticite corn rootworms are economically significant pests of grain maize in North America and Europe. Corn rootworm management costs and the value of lost production annually exceed US $1 billion in the United States.

Corn rootworm biology is closely tied to that of their maize hosts. Historically, the success or failure of corn rootworm management tactics was determined by how well pest managers understood and exploited rootworm biology, ecology, and behavior. The highly adaptable nature of the key pest, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Leconte, the western corn rootworm, has made management an ongoing challenge. Over time, this species has evolved resistance to four insecticide classes and all commercially available rootworm-active Cry toxins expressed in Bt–maize hybrids. 

The future success of corn rootworm management may require a more holistic view of management than implemented in the past and the development of new tactics that are based on firm understandings of Diabrotica biology, physiology, ecology, and behavior.

For this upcoming Special Issue, we are seeking original submissions and reviews that address and update our understanding of corn rootworm biology and management in modern production systems.

Dr. Lance J. Meinke
Dr. Joseph L. Spencer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.