**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CROPS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE WESTERN CORN ROOTWORM (WCR, DIABROTICAVIRGIFERA VIRGIFERA LECONTE) IS A DEVASTATING MAIZE PEST IN THE U.S. CORN BELT, COSTING ~$2 BILLION ANNUALLY TO U.S. MAIZE GROWERS DUE TO YIELD LOSS AND CONTROL COST.WCR HAS EVOLVED RESISTANCE TO NEARLY ALL MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES INCLUDING CHEMICAL INSECTICIDES, TRANSGENIC PLANTS, CULTURALCONTROL TECHNIQUES, AND EVEN THE NEWEST MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY (RNA INTERFERENCE). CLEARLY, ADDITIONAL CONTROL TOOLS NEED TOBE DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED FOR THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF THIS AGRICULTURAL PEST.MAIZE IS THE ONLY HOST PLANT OF WCR IN NATURE, THOUGH WCR BEETLES CAN BE PRODUCED EXPERIMENTALLY ON A FEW NON-MAIZE HOSTS. WITH THE HIGH SPECIALIZATION OF WCR ON ITS NATURAL HOST PLANT (MAIZE), WE PROPOSE THAT NUTRIENTS REQUIRED FOR WCR DEVELOPMENTARE PRODUCED ALMOST SOLELY AND ACCESSIBLY FROM YOUNG MAIZE ROOTS, BUT INADEQUATELY OR IN EXCESS FROM MATURE MAIZE ROOTS ANDOTHER PLANTSPECIES. WE WILL PERFORM AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH COMBINING METABOLOMICS ANALYSES, MATHEMATICAL MODELING, AND PLANT-INSECTASSAYS TO IDENTIFY NUTRITIONAL FACTORS IN YOUNG MAIZE ROOTS SPECIALIZED FOR WCR DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS BIOLOGICAL FACTORS IN MARGINAL HOSTS (I.E., WHEAT, WHEATGRASS, AND WITCH GRASS) AND A NON-MAIZE HOST(OAT) LIMITING WCR DEVELOPMENT. THE COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT WILL BEFOUNDATIONAL FOR DEVELOPING NOVELMANAGEMENT TACTICS FOR CONTROLLING WCR AS WELL AS OTHER SPECIALIST INSECTS THAT CAN POTENTIALLYBE CONTROLLED BY GENETICALLY MODIFYINGTHEIR PREFERRED HOSTS TO LACK NUTRIENTS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THEIR DEVELOPMENT WITHOUTIMPAIRING PLANT VIGOR AND DETRIMENTAL EFFECTSON NON-TARGET ORGANISMS. THIS WOULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN NEW CONTROL MEANS FOR INSECT PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS WITH COMPLETELYDIFFERENT MODES OF ACTION COMPARED TO CURRENT AVAILABLE TACTICS.