Insect and Mite Pests of Wheat

This chapter discusses some of the more important field arthropod pests of wheat in North America, including their biology and life history, the nature of the damage they cause, and methods for their control. A few of the more serious field pests of wheat in other parts of the world are also included because of their economic importance to wheat production. The insects and mites that attack wheat have complex biological systems, varied life cycles, diverse food habits and powers of dispersal, and different ecological requirements for survival. The manipulation of cultural practices to control aphids on wheat has met with mixed success. Grazing winter wheat greatly reduces aphid numbers, but only temporarily. The wheat jointworm, Tetramesa tritici, is found in most wheat-growing areas of the USA, but is a more serious pest east of the Mississippi River and in the Pacific Northwest. Soil-inhabiting insects are sometimes serious or potentially destructive pests of wheat.