Richard C Hamelin | Search PubMed

PubMed2026

PCR-based species identification tools for wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of economic importance in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Coexistence of pest and non-pest wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in agricultural fields makes species-level identification critical to determine when pest management measures are required. However, morphological identification of wireworms (larval stage of click beetles) is challenging, as larvae are difficult to distinguish based on morphological features and misidentifications are common. Here, we developed species-specific primers for 15 click beetle species to be used in PCR-based species-level identification for agricultural fields across Canada. RESULTS: Partial sequences of the gene regions cytochrome c oxidase I (COXI), 16S, 12S, 28S, 18S, internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), cytochrome-b (CYTB), elongation factor 1 (EF1), ATP6/8, NADH dehydrogenase 1 (ND1), NADH dehydrogenase 2 (ND2), NADH dehydrogenase 3 (ND3), NADH dehydrogenase 4 (ND4), NADH dehydrogenase 5 (ND5) and NADH dehydrogenase 6 (ND6) were generated for elaterid species of interest. Of these gene regions, primers were designed on the mitochondrial gene regions COXI, CYTB and ND1 that had sufficient variation to discriminate among species and tested for species specificity using additional pest and non-pest species from the families Elateridae, Carabidae, Scarabidae and Silphidae. Specificity testing confirmed that all primer sets were species-specific. CONCLUSION: The novel primers designed in this study allow for PCR-based species identification of 15 economically important click beetle pest species in Canada. Further testing is needed to validate the assay for use outside of Canada. Accurate species-level identification will benefit pest management professionals by informing management decisions and reducing the use of insurance insecticide applications due to difficulties with identifications of wireworm pest species. © 2026 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Tree Killer, Qu'est-ce Que C'est? Insights From Forest Pathogen Genomes.

Forests are central to planetary health but are increasingly challenged by emerging diseases driven by climate change, global trade, and anthropogenic disturbance. Despite the apparent resilience of long-lived, genetically diverse tree hosts, forest ecosystems have repeatedly experienced landscape-level pathogen-driven transformations. Advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and functional biology have transformed our understanding of how fungal and oomycete pathogens interact with their hosts across a continuum of lifestyles, from saprotrophy and necrotrophy to biotrophy. Here, we synthesize insights from comparative and population genomics and functional studies across diverse forest pathosystems to examine the traits that characterize successful tree pathogens. We highlight how lifestyle plasticity, adaptations to woody tissues, vector-mediated transmission, and biotrophic stealth enable pathogens to colonize perennial hosts and persist over long temporal scales. We further examine how genome plasticity, hybridization, and horizontal gene transfer generate adaptive potential that often outpaces host evolutionary responses under current environmental change. Finally, we discuss emerging genomic tools, including biosurveillance, machine learning-based classification, and genome editing, that are beginning to link genotype to phenotype and inform assessments of disease risk. By integrating genomic, ecological, and evolutionary perspectives, this review outlines general principles governing forest pathogen success and identifies priorities for future research aimed at improving understanding, early detection, and management of forest diseases in a changing world.

Trees↗