SUSCEPTIBILITY OF 31 SPECIES OF AGRICULTURAL INSECT PESTS TO THE ENTOMOGENOUS NEMATODES STEINERNEMA FELTIAE AND HETERORHABDITIS BACTERIOPHORA

Abstract

AbstractThe susceptibility of 31 species of agricultural insect pests representing 7 families of Lepidoptera, 3 of Diptera, and 3 of Coleoptera to the entomogenous nematodes Steinernema feltiae Filipjev and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar, were investigated in the laboratory. Of the 27 species found susceptible to S. feltiae, 19 are reported for the first time. Of the 21 species killed by H. bacteriophora, 15 are reported for the first time. The Lepidoptera as a group were highly susceptible to the nematodes. On the basis of larval mortality caused by the nematodes, of nematode reproduction in insect cadavers, and of the known economic importance and life histories of the test insects, S. feltiae was judged to warrant further research as a possible biological-control agent against Euxoa ochrogaster (Guenée), E. auxiliaris (Grote), Agrotis orthogonia (Morr.), Actebia fennica (Tauscher), Mamestra configurata Walker, Delia radicum (L.), D. antiqua (Meig.), and Zygogramma exclamationis (F.).