According to the responses you entered, this is likely the pest you are dealing with. To confirm this, use the positive identification section.
A wireworm in a person’s hand. Photo courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden.
A false wireworm. Though they look a little different from a true wireworm, they cause the same damage when found in the roots or seedlings. Photo by Salvador Vitanza.
Scientific Names
Elataridae (wireworm)
Tenebrionidae (false wireworm)
Biology
A click beetle, the adult version of wireworms. Photo courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden.
True wireworms are the immature stage of click beetles shown above. These larvae will feed on planted sorghum seed which prevents germination from occurring. Less damage is caused when they feed on seedling plant roots which can reduce stands. Both false and true wireworms will cause the same types of damage and are treated the same.
Positive Identification
As larvae wireworms are shiny slender and hard bodied. They can range from yellow to tan to brown in color.
Scouting Tips
Before planting you should sample fields to see how many wireworms are present. Sampling can be accomplished by examining the soil and through the usage of bait traps. A trap should be placed 2 weeks before planting for every 10 to 20 acres. To build a bait trap place half a pound of untreated seed in a small hole in your field. Mark the location with a stake to find it later. The hole should be about 4″ wide and around 7″ deep. Cover the seed with soil and place a small 4″ by 4″ sheet of plastic to warm up the location. This makes the trap more effective. Two weeks following the setup of the trap dig the hole back up and look for wireworms.
Although we tried to include the most significant pests related to sorghum our tool cannot help you identify every insect found on sorghum. This tool is built to inform you of the most common and significant pests of sorghum in Texas. If the insect you are dealing with does not match the description above then talk to your extension agent or visit this page to look at all the different important potential pests of sorghum.