This wireworm adult is a hard, slick, reddish-brown to black click beetle about 13 mm long. Egg - The white, glistening egg is oval to spherical in shape and 0.33 mm long. Larva - A wireworm larva has 3 pairs of short legs near its head. M. Communis has a pale yellow to reddish-brown body, a brown, flattened head, and a scalloped last abdominal segment. When fully grown, this wireworm ranges from 21 to 25 mm in length.
Damage tends to be prevalent in fields which follow sod or no-till corn.
The wireworm, M. Communis , feeds on the roots of many grasses, including corn and many small grain crops. It may also attack the roots, seeds, and tubers of many flower and vegetable crops, especially potatoes and sweet potatoes. This species has been known to infest tobacco. Damage - This wireworm creates holes in potato and sweet potato roots similar to those caused by the tobacco and southern potato wireworms. However, due to the size of this species, the holes are noticeably larger and deeper than those of other species.