RNA interference (RNAi) is a gene silencing mechanism triggered by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA; (Fire et al., 1998)) and is a vital part of the immune response to viruses and the regulation of gene transcription in eukaryotes (Sharp, 2001). In addition to regulating endogenous gene expression, dsRNA has been shown to be an effective tool for insect control (Mao et al., 2007; Whyard et al., 2009; Zhu et al., 2012), including western corn rootworm (WCR, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) and southern corn rootworm (SCR, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (Baum et al., 2007; Bolognesi et al., 2012). One such dsRNA, DvSnf7, induces mortality in WCR (Bolognesi et al., 2012) by suppressing DvSnf7, a component of the ESCRT-III complex (Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport-III) that is essential for biological processes including the sorting of cell membrane receptors (Kim et al., 2011; Sweeney et al., 2006; Vaccari et al., 2009). Shortly after oral exposure to DvSnf7 dsRNA, there is significant suppression of DvSnf7 mRNA in the midgut and other tissues in the insect followed by a reduction in DvSNF7 protein levels (Bolognesi et al., 2012). In turn, the degradation of DvSNF7 protein leads to the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, disruption of autophagy and ultimately mortality in WCR larvae (Koci et al., 2014; Ramaseshadri et al., 2013).