Four beneficial nematodes including Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Steinernema feltiae, Steinernema intermedium and Steinernema kraussei have been reported from Portugal.
Read Moreentomopathogenic nematodes
Prevent corn damage from western corn rootworms /
Prevent corn damage from The western corn rootworms (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) using beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes.
Read MoreBeneficial Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes for sod webworm control /
Beneficial Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes have a potential to control tropical sod webworm, Herpetogramma phaeopteralis, one of the most damaging pests of turfgrass. Sod worms are lepidopterous insects that cause a serious damage to turfgrasses that are grown in the athletic fields, golf courses, home lawns and recreational parks. Adult moths do not cause any type of damage to turfgrass but their larval stages feed on turfgrass and reduce its aesthetic value.
Read MoreThree beneficial nematodes for Queensland fruit fly control /
Three beneficial nematodes including Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae have a potential to use as a biological control agents to manage populations of Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, which is one of the most economically important insect pest of many fruit crops.
Read MoreTwo beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes for cucurbit fly control /
Two beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes including Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Fig.1) and Steinernema carpocapsae (Fig. 2) have showed a potential to control cucurbit flies, Dacus ciliatus (Kamali et al., 2013). These nematodes are considered as beneficial nematodes because they have been used as biological control agents to control insects that are damaging to crops and harmful to animals
Read MoreBiological control of the peanut burrower bug, Pangaeus bilineatus /
The peanut burrower bugs are true bugs because they belong to an insect family Cydnidae in the order, Hemiptera. The peanut burrower bugs are scientifically known as Pangaeus bilineatus and considered as one of the major insects pests of peanuts in the peanut, Arachis hypogaea producing States in the U.S. (Lis et al. 2000) .
Read MoreAntibiotics from entomopathogenic bacteria Xenorhabdus cabanillasii /
Entomopathogenic Steinernema riobrave is a warm adapted nematode species that uses an intermediate foraging strategy that lie between the ambush “sit and wait” strategy and cruise strategy to find and infect its both the mobile/sedentary insects at the soil surface or immobile stages deep in the soil and after infection, it uses its symbiotic bacteria, Xenorhabdus cabanillasii (Tailliez et al., 2006) to kill insect hosts.
Read MoreSteinernema feltiae for Codling Moth Control in the October /
The codling moth, Cydia pomonella is one of the most damaging pets of apples, pears and walnuts. Adult moths are gray in color with dark brown band at the tip of wings. Larvae are white in color with dark brown head. Only larvae of codling moth cause damage to fruits and adults do not cause any damage to either apple or pear fruits or trees.
Read MoreSeven Beneficial Entomopathogenic Nematodes for Chive Gnat Control /
Seven beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes including Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, H. indica, H. megidis, Steinernema ceratophorum, S. feltiae, S. hebeiense and S. litorale have been tested against Chive gnat, Bradysia odoriphaga. This insect pest is one of the most damaging pests of Chinese chive, Allium tuberosum.
Read MoreTwo biological agents for the control of strawberry root weevils /
Strawberry root weevils [Otiorhynchus ovatus] are one of the most important insect pests of strawberry crop. Adults of strawberry root weevil feed on the edges of strawberry leaves [leaf notching] but this damage is not considered as economically important like the damage caused by their larval stages to strawberry roots [root pruning].
Read MoreSeven reasons to use beneficial nematodes as safer alternatives to pesticides /
Why beneficial nematodes are safer alternatives to pesticides- Nematodeinformation
To control insect pests in your organic garden, beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes are safer alternatives to chemical insecticides because.......
- Beneficial nematodes and their symbiotic bacterium have no detrimental effects on animals and plants.
- Both nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria do not cause any harm to the personnel involved in their production and application.
- Entomopathogenic nematode treated agriculture products are safe to handle and eat.
- Entomopathogenic nematodes and symbiotic bacteria do not have any pathogenic effects on humans or animals.
- When applied in the soil, entomopathogenic nematodes have also no negative effect on beneficial nematodes (bacteriovore, fungivore, omnivore and predatory) and other microbial communities.
- Entomopathogenic nematodes are also not harmful to the economically important beneficial insects such as honeybees.
- Finally, entomopathogenic nematodes are non-polluting and thus environmentally safe.
Storage temperature can influence beneficial nematode activity /
Several different species of white grubs including Anomala orientalis, Ataenius spretulus, Blitopertha orientalis, Cotinus nitida, Cyclocephala borealis, Cyclocephala pasadenae, Cyclocephala hirta, Exomala orientalis, Hoplia philanthus, Maladera castanea, Melolontha melolontha, Phyllophaga Spp. and Rhizotrogus majalis are major pests of turf grass.
Read MoreThree beneficial natural enemies for crane fly Tipula paludosa control /
Crane flies Tipula paludosa are one of important pests of turfgrass. Only larval stages (Fig. 1) of crane fly cause damage to turfgrass. Crane fly adults are harmless to plants (Fig. 2). Crane fly larvae mainly feed on turfgrass roots and crowns but some time they can also feed on the turfgrass foliage. The main symptom of crane fly damage that you will notice is the bare patches of dead turf in your lawn or golf courses.
Read MoreEntomopathogenic nematodes can even infect and kill citrus mealybugs /
Citrus mealybug Planococcus citri is a serious insect pest of many greenhouse plants as well as fruit crops in the field. There are different biological, chemical and cultural approaches available for the management of citrus mealybugs.
Read MoreSuppressive effects of beneficial nematodes on plant-parasitic nematodes /
Entomopathogenic nematodes including Steinernema rarum and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora can reduce over 53% reproduction of a plant-parasitic nematode called Nacobbus aberrans
Read MoreBeneficial nematodes for control of termite Reticulitermes flavipes /
Eastern Subterranean Termite, Reticulitermes flavipes are the most destructive and economically important pest of wood industry. Current research shows that the entomopathogenic nematodes also called beneficial nematodes have a potential to use as environmentally safe biological control agents against termites.
Read MoreBiological control of Fuller rose beetle with beneficial nematodes /
Fuller rose beetle, Asynonychus godmani- Nematode Information
Fuller rose beetle, Asynonychus godmani is one of the most economically important pests of roses and citrus. A laboratory study conducted by Morse and Lindegren (1996) showed that an entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae caused a maximum 67 and 83% mortality of three week old larvae and adults of the Fuller rose beetle, Asynonychus godmani with 500 and 150 nematode infective juveniles, respectively. Subsequent field study also showed that the application of nematodes significantly reduced the emergence of adult fuller rose beetles in the second year after nematode application. This suggests that the applied entomopathogenic nematodes were recycled and persisted in the field for two years.
Influence of entomopathogenic nematodes on reproduction of Rhipicephalus microplus /
Tick, Rhipicephalus microplus is one of most import insect pests of live stocks including cattle, buffalo, horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, deer, pigs and dogs. This tick is known for transmitting cattle fever, which is caused by the protozoal parasites including Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis.
Read MoreA novel entomopathogenic nematode formulation to attract insect pests /
Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera and entomopathogenic nematodes
In this formulation, entomopathogenic nematodes were encapsulated in the capsules, which were prepared from several compounds including a polysaccharide extracted from the algae, Laminaria spp. According to Hiltpold et al., (2012), these entomopathogic nematode-filled capsules are easy to apply in the field and from these capsules entomopathogenic nematodes can easily break through, and successfully infect insect pests such as Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera. Also, these nematode-filled capsules can attract insect pests in the field if they are coated with insect food stimulant or attractants.
Literatures:
Hiltpold, I., Hibbard, B.E., French, B.W. and Turlings, T.C.J. 2012. Capsules containing entomopathogenic nematodes as a Trojan horse approach to control the western corn rootworm. Plant and Soil 358: 10-24.
Research papers presented on entomopathogenic nematodes at 51st SON Annual Meeting /
Research papers on entomopathogenic nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria
Following 12 research papers on entomopathogenic nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria were presented at the Society of Nematologists 51st Annual meeting, which was held in Savannah, Georgia from August 12th -15th, 2012.
- Ali, J.G., Alborn, H.T., Campos-Herrera, R., Kaplan, F.,Duncan, L.W., Rodriguez-Saona, C., Koppenhöfer, A.M. and L.L. Stelinski, L.L. 2012. Herbivore induced plants volatiles and entomopathogenic nematodes as agents of plant indirect defense.
- Bal, H.K.,Taylor, R.A.J. and Grewal, P.S.2012. Ambush foraging entomopathogenic nematodes employ ‘sprinting emigrants’ for long distance dispersal in the absence of hosts.
- Blackburn, D. andAdams, B.J.2012. Evolution of virulence in an entomopathogenic nematode symbiont.
- Campos-Herrera, R., ElBorai, F.E. andDuncan, L.W. 2012. Manipulating soil food webs in aFloridaorganic citrus orchard to enhance biocontrol by entomopathogenic nematodes.
- Dillman, A., Mortazavi, A., Hallem, E. and Paul W. Sternberg, P.W. 2012. Host-seeking, olfaction, foraging strategies, and the genomic architecture of parasitism among Steinernema nematodes.
- Griffin, C.T., Dillon, A.m.,Harvey, C.D. and C.D. Williams, C.D. 2012. Multitrophic interactions involving entomopathogenic nematodes applied against pine weevils in a forest ecosystem.
- Lancaster, J.D, Mohammad, B. and Abebe, E. 2012. Entomopathogenic symbiosis of Caenorhabditis briggsae KT0001 and Serratia sp. SCBI: Analysis of fitness.
- Noguez, J., Conner, E.S., Zhou, Y., Ciche, T.A., Ragains, J.R. and Butcher, R.A. 2012. A novel ascaroside controls the parasitic life cycle of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora.
- Pathak, E., Campos-Herrera, R., ElBorai, F.E., Stuart,R.J., Graham, J.H. andDuncan, L.W. 2012. Environmental factors affecting community structure of nematophagus fungi and their prey inFloridacitrus groves.
- Shapiro-Ilan, D.I., Leskey, T.C., Wright, S.E., Brown,I.and Fall, L. 2012. Entomophathogenic nematodes: Effects of the soil agroecosystem on biological control potential.
- Somasekhar Nethi, S. Jagdale, G.B. and Grewal, P.S. 2012. Interactions among entomopathogenic nematodes and other nematode trophic groups and plants in agroecosystems.
- Zeng Qi Zhao, Z.Q., Davies, K.A., Brenton-Rule, E.C., Grangier, J., Gruber, M.A.M., Giblin-Davis, R.M. and Lester, P.J. 2012. New Diploscapter sp. (Rhabditida: Diploscapteridae) from the native ant, Prolasius advenus, inNew Zealand.