Editing Western corn rootworm (section)

{{Short description|Subspecies of beetle}}
{{Subspeciesbox
| name = Western corn rootworm
| image = Diabrotica virgifera side.jpg
| genus = Diabrotica
| species = virgifera
| subspecies = virgifera
| authority = [[John Lawrence LeConte|LeConte]], 1868
}}

The '''Western corn rootworm''', ''Diabrotica virgifera virgifera'', is one of the most devastating [[corn rootworm]] species in [[North America]], especially in the midwestern [[maize|corn]]-growing areas such as [[Iowa]]. A related species, the Northern corn rootworm, ''D. barberi'', co-inhabits in much of the range and is fairly similar in biology.

Two other [[subspecies]] of ''D. virgifera'' are described, including the Mexican corn rootworm (''Diabrotica virgifera zeae''), a significant pest in its own right, attacking corn in that country.

Corn rootworm larvae can destroy significant percentages of corn if left untreated. In the United States, current estimates show that {{convert|30000000|acres}} of corn (out of 80 million{{clarify|reason=ambiguous units|date=August 2014}} grown) are infested with corn rootworm. The [[United States Department of Agriculture]] estimates that corn rootworms cause $1 billion in lost revenue each year,<ref>{{cite book|last=Metcalf|first=R. L.|title=In Methods for the Study of Pest Diabrotica|year=1986|publisher=Springer|location=New York|pages=vii – xv|editor=J. L. Krysan|editor2=T. A. Miller|chapter=Foreword}}</ref> including $800 million in yield loss and $200 million in cost of treatment for corn growers.{{fact|date=December 2018}}