Western corn rootworm (WCR), the “billion-dollar bug,” got its name due to the costs related to its damage and control, which have been estimated at more than one billion dollars for corn farmers. In recent years, the level of WCR infestation has been greatly reduced due to the widespread use of Bt corn. Although these varieties have been successful in controlling WCR, cases of resistance have already been reported in certain areas. For many decades, WCR proved being able to develop resistance to different control measures, including the use of insecticides and cultural measures such as crop rotation. Therefore, research on this key maize pest must continue. In order to conduct research, it is necessary to have fields with a high level of infestation which will allow us to find statistically significant differences. In our research, we tested different crops, called “trap crops” that can attract the attention of adult WCR and direct them to lay their eggs in those fields. Those intentionally infested areas will thus be suitable for conducting field investigations on WCR. One of the proposed trap crops was pumpkin, whose flowers are highly attractive for WCR adults as we can see in the picture.
