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Control of the mushroom pests Lycoriella auripila (Diptera: Sciaridae) and Megaselia halterata (Diptera: Phoridae) by Steinernema feltiae (Nematoda: Steinernematidae) in field experiments
Author(s) -
SCHEEPMAKER J W A,
GEELS F P,
SMITS P H,
GRIENSVEN L J L D VAN
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1997.tb05165.x
Subject(s) - phoridae , sciaridae , biology , diflubenzuron , nematode , biological pest control , toxicology , botany , horticulture , larva , zoology , ecology
Summary The nematode Steinernema feltiae (Nematoda: Steinemematidae) was tested for its ability to control two main mushroom pests i.e. the sciarid Lycoriella auripila (Diptera: Sciaridae) and the phorid Megaselia halterata (Diptera: Phoridae) in growing‐rooms filled with spawned compost. A clear difference between female and male sciarid control was observed. A nematode application 1 day after casing preceded by an application 1 day before casing on the compost caused an almost complete control (97%) of the F1‐generation of female sciarids. The F2‐generation of females was similarly controlled (95%) by an application 7 days after casing. A dosage of 1 × 10 6 nematodes m ‐2 was found to be equally effective as higher dosages. Diflubenzuron remained active throughout entire the cropping period with high sciarid mortality rates varying from 72% to 99%. Phorid control was variable and seemed to depend on the presence of sciarids. In one occasion the control rate of F2‐generation phorid larvae was 75% and was possibly caused by the presence of new infective juvenile nematodes recycled in F2‐generation sciarid larvae. Diflubenzuron did not significantly reduce phorid numbers.