Efficacy of Heterorhabditis indica LPP35 against Aedes aegypti larvae in human-generated containers and bromeliads

Aedes aegypti is arguably the most important mosquito for public health worldwide, as it is the main vector of dengue fever and other diseases. A virulence assessment of different entomopathogenic nematodes towards A. aegypti larvae (L3 and L4) revealed the potential of H. indica LPP35 for mosquito biocontrol. In this follow-up study, the application of 100 infective juveniles (IJs)/larvae caused mortality rates of 85-100% in human-generated glass and plastic containers of different sizes and shapes, located indoors and outdoors. In these experiments, the volume of the water retained in the containers did not affect the efficacy of H. indica LPP35, but the container`s base area (in cm) played a significant role in the IJ-larvae encounter and the mortality rate that followed. In bromeliads, the efficacy of H. indica LPP35 was relatively low, probably because the IJs swam down the plant leaf axils, thus avoiding the encounter with the grazing larvae.