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Poster Display

Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology

Poster: PBT, Physiology and Toxicology

D3385: Nutritional profiles of western corn rootworms on maize and artificial diets

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 6, PCC
Poster Display
The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a devastating pest of maize. Crop losses and abatement efforts to minimize the impacts of corn rootworms are ~$2 billion annually in the U.S. WCR larvae feed almost exclusively on maize roots, which is responsible for most of the damage caused by this pest. This insect species has proven to be one of the most challenging pests in North America because it evolves resistance to nearly all management tactics. Knowledge of WCR nutrition could facilitate the development of novel management strategies to control WCR. Here we investigated nutritional responses of WCR larvae (e.g., amino acids, carbohydrates, sterols, vitamins) fed on maize roots and two artificial diets (WCRMO-2 and F9772 diets). Maize roots provided the best support for WCR larval development, whereas the WCRMO-2 diet supported WCR larval performance significantly better than the F9772 diet. WCR neonates were reared on maize and these diets for 15 days and then larval samples were extracted with methanol and analyzed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS). The analyses resulted in >600 unique metabolites, in which ~80% of the metabolites were confirmed with their standards. Several nutrients and secondary metabolites in these nutritional profiles crucial for WCR growth and development were identified.