Gabor PRINCZINGER¹ and Geza RIPKA^2
1 Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development, Budapest, Hungary
² Plant Health and Soil Conservation Station of Budapest, Hungary

The Hungarian Plant Protection Organization has carried out a nationwide survey of Western Corn Rootworm (WCR) in Hungary since 1996. The Plant Health and Soil Conservation Stations in all counties have participated. in the study. In 1999 the WCR monitoring systern was based on two basic examinations:

1. Scout Trapping: On 105 locations where the WCR was absent in 1998 Hungarian pheromone traps (Csalomon®) were placed in corn fields. In the non infested area of 16 counties the traps were monitored from 21 June till the end of September at intervals of 10 days. Within 30 days the traps were replaced by new ones.
2. Permanent Monitoring. Network: To determine WCR population buildup Hungarian pheromone traps and Multigard yellow sticky traps were) placed in pairs in 19 sites of 9 WCR infested counties. Distance between Csalomon® and traps was 50 m. In corn fields the traps were monitored from 21 June to early October. All traps were changed at intervals of 30 days.

The WCR was trapped out of 19 Hungarian counties in 12 counties. Out of 105 scout traps 51 traps had catches over WCR infested area. These traps caught a total of 1988 beetles. The average catch was 38,9 adults/trap.

All 19 permanent monitoring pheromone traps had catches. A total of 6407 beetles were caught. The average catch is 337,2 beetles/trap. Out of 19 Multigard traps 17 traps had catches. Some 909 WCR adults were trapped. The average catch is 47,8 beetles/trap.

The two trapping systems caught a total of 9304 WCR adults. It is much more than in 1998 (1895 beetles). All index numbers of WCR trapping exceeded that of 1998.

In Transdanubia, in county Somogy at present WCR reached the southern shore of lake Balaton. The species was found in county Komarom-Esztergom not far from the Danube, and the Slovakian border. In northern Hungary, in the county Nograd WCR was trapped close to river Ipoly, near the Slovakian border, too. The invasive pest spread northward through the valleys and along the Danube.

In counties Bekes and Csongrad larval damages were observed. In Szeged the root damage was at economic level.