Sequential Sampling Plans for Adult Corn Rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)1

Abstract

Two sequential sampling plans were developed for adult corn rootworms, Diabrotica longicornis (Say) and D. virgifera virgifera LeConte, on corn. The first method uses decision lines described by the equation, d1,2 = 1.01n ± 6.63, to place fields into treat or no-treat categories. The second method allows an estimate of the population to be made at a preset level of precision. Both methods are significantly faster than using a fixed sample size, and the categorization method is significantly faster than the population estimation method. Use of the former method in a pest management program reduced scouting time by 36%.