AUTHOR(S)
M. Muthulakshmi, S. Kumar and S. Subramanian

ABSTRACT

Nematodesassociated with insects are referred to as entomophagous nematodes.Entomopathogenic nematodes

are highlypotential biocontrol agents for several lepidopteran and coleopteran insectpests. These nematodes are mutually symbiotic with the bacteria Xenorhabdus andPhotorhabdus spp. and the bacteria are responsible for the death of thehost. The biology of three species of Steinernema viz., Heterorhabditis wasstudied under laboratory conditions at a temperature of 28±2oC. The infectivejuveniles caused mortality of Corcyra cephalonica in about 48 hours.Hermaphrodites were observed 72 hrs after infection. Females and males ofamphimictic generation were observed 120 hrs after infection in Heterorhabditisand 48 hours after infection in Steinernema spp. Exit of infective juvenilesfrom cadavers of C. cephalonica was observed after 192 hrs in Heterorhabditis.In Steinernema glaseri and thermophilum the exit of infectivejuveniles was observed 120 hrs after infection while in S. tami the exitof infective juveniles was observed 96 hrs after infection. The study revealedthat H. indica completed two generations (First generation -hermaphrodite and Second generation - Amphimictic) in one insect. But all thethree species of Sterinernema completed only one generation(Amphimictic) in the insect host.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.57182/jbiopestic.5.0.60-61

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