virgifera

Virgifera is a Latin-derived specific epithet used in the scientific names of certain organisms. It is most commonly encountered in the binomial name Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, the nominotypical subspecies of the western corn rootworm, a leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae (order Coleoptera).

The western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) is a major maize pest native to North America. Adults are typically about 6 to 9 millimeters long and feed on leaves, pollen, and silks, while the larvae attack maize roots, causing structural damage that can reduce yields and promote lodging. The life cycle involves eggs laid in or near maize residues in the soil; larvae hatch in spring, feed on roots, pupate in the soil, and adults emerge later in the growing season. In warmer climates, multiple generations may occur per year; in cooler regions, development may take longer and may over-winter in various stages.

Distribution and impact: The species is native to North America but has become established in Europe since the 1990s, where it is considered an important agricultural pest due to root injury and associated yield losses. Management relies on integrated pest management practices, including crop rotation to non-host crops, deployment of resistant maize hybrids, seed and soil insecticides, scouting and monitoring, and, in some regions, biological control and resistance management programs to delay the development of pesticide resistance.

Notes: Virgifera as an epithet appears in other, less prominent taxonomic names, but it is most prominently associated with the western corn rootworm complex.