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Laboratory and field evaluation of entomopathogenic nematodes for control of Agriotes obscurus (L.) (Coleoptera: Elateridae)
Author(s) -
Morton A.,
GarciadelPino F.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of applied entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0931-2048
DOI - 10.1111/jen.12343
Subject(s) - heterorhabditis bacteriophora , biology , entomopathogenic nematode , larva , biological pest control , nematode , heterorhabditis , veterinary medicine , strain (injury) , rhabditida , botany , ecology , anatomy , medicine
The susceptibility of the dusky wireworm, Agriotes obscurus (L.) (Coleoptera: Elateridae), to different species and strains of entomopathogenic nematodes was tested in a virulence assay in the laboratory. Larvae were exposed to different nematode doses of 50 and 100 IJ s/cm 2 . At a dose of 50 IJs/cm 2 , only a commercial strain Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar and the native strain Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) B14 caused increased mortality compared with the control (11.1% and 13.3% mortality, respectively). At the higher dose tested, all strains (except Steinernema sp. D122) were virulent to A. obscurus larvae. Steinernema carpocapsae B14 caused higher mortality of wireworm (75.6%) and was used for the assay conducted in cages, with a dose of 100 IJs/cm 2 , in field conditions. The results showed that S. carpocapsae B14 controlled 48.3% of A. obscurus larvae, demonstrating that some entomopathogenic nematodes have the potential to control larvae of A. obscurus . However, further work is needed to improve their efficacy.