EFFECT OF THE ENTOMOGENOUS NEMATODE NEOAPLECTANA-CARPOCAPSAE ON THE TACHINID PARASITE COMPSILURA-CONCINNATA (DIPTERA, TACHINIDAE)

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 16  (1) , 9-13
Abstract
N. carpocapsae and its associated bacterium, Xenorhabdus nematophilus, could not infect the pupal stage of the tachinid C. concinnata [a biological control agent] through the puparium. N. carpocapsae had an adverse effect on 1-, 2- and 3-day-old C. concinnata larvae within the armyworm host in petri dish tests. All 1-day-old larvae treated with nematodes died in their hosts; 61% and 69% of 2- and 3-day-old larvae treated with nematodes, respectively, died. The survivors developed to adults. Of adult tachinids which emerged from nematode-treated soil (50 nematodes/cm2) 9-37% were infected with N. carpocapsae. The nematode adversely affects C. concinnata directly by the infection of the tachinid and indirectly by causing the premature death of the [armyworm] host.