TY - JOUR T1 - Stridulations of <em>Melolontha spp.</em> larvae open up new possibilities for species-specific pest monitoring in soils JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/520734 SP - 520734 AU - Carolyn-Monika Görres AU - David Chesmore Y1 - 2019/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/01/16/520734.abstract N2 - Root-feeding Scarabaeidae larvae can pose a serious threat to agricultural and forest ecosystems, but many details of larval ecology are still unknown. We developed an acoustic data analysis method for gaining new insights into larval ecology. In a laboratory study, third instar larvae of Melolontha melolontha (n=38) and M. hippocastani (n=15) kept in soil-filled containers were acoustically monitored for 5 min each, resulting in the first known stridulation recordings for each species. Subsequent continuous monitoring of three M. hippocastani larvae over several hours showed that a single larva could stridulate more than 70 times per hour, and stridulation rates increased drastically with increasing larval abundance. The new fractal dimension-based data analysis method automatically detected audio sections with stridulations and provided a semi-quantitative estimate of stridulation activity. It is the first data analysis method specifically targeting Scarabaeidae larvae stridulations in soils, enabling for the first time non-invasive species-specific pest monitoring.Key messageRoot-feeding scarab beetle larvae, known as white grubs, can be serious agricultural and forest pests.White grub infestation monitoring is difficult due to their cryptic lifestyle, but detailed monitoring data is essential for effective pest control.We present the first acoustic data analysis routine targeting stridulations, using Melolontha melolontha and M. hippocastani as model organisms.This new method provides for the first time the basis for the development of tools for non-invasive, species-specific, and rapid white grub monitoring in soils.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 703107. We would also like to thank the following persons for access to the collection sites, help during the excavation of larvae, and ecological insights into these animals: Rainer Hurling and Sabine Weldner (Northwest German Forest Research Institute). ER -