Seasonal Abundance and Mathematical Distribution of Wireworms and Wireworm Feeding Damage in Sweet Potato

Seasonal abundance and spatial distribution of wireworm feeding damage were determined for sweet potato by examining storage roots. Spatial distribution of wireworms was determined by sampling corn-wheat seed baits. Wireworm feeding damage (deep, shallow and healed holes) increased as the season progressed. The distribution of wireworms in sweet potato fields was clumped as was feeding damage distribution. The spatial distribution of wireworm damage on sweet potato roots fits the negative binomial distribution. Values for the negative binomial parameter k for two fields indicated a clustered distribution of wireworm feeding damage. Greater k-values for healed feeding damage and total feeding damage than for deep and shallow feeding damage indicate that sample size could be adjusted, depending on seasons, to achieve optimal sampling efficiency. As feeding damage can predict wireworm populations, a sampling strategy based on early-season wireworm damage data is particularly timely, efficient and economical for evaluating wireworm damage data.