Biocontrol Science and Technology (2012) 22, 117-123
Lemma Ebssa, Eugene M. Fuzy, Matthew W. Bickerton and Albrecht M. Koppenhöfer (2012)
Host density effects on efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes against white grub (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) species
Biocontrol Science and Technology 22 (1), 117-123
Abstract: We tested the effect of host density on entomopathogenic nematode efficacy in 1-L pots with grass and soil. In four experiments, combinations ranged from somewhat resistant hosts (oriental beetle, Anomala orientalis, or northern masked chafer, Cyclocephala borealis, with Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) over more susceptible hosts (Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, with Steinernema glaseri) to a highly susceptible host (P. japonica and S. scarabaei). In each experiment, four larval densities were exposed to two nematode rates over a 14-day period. A significant effect of host density on nematode efficacy occurred only in the A. orientalis-H. bacteriophora combination, but there was no clear trend in the data. This suggests that an exhaustion of available nematode populations to less lethal levels by high host numbers was counteracted by other factors such as increased chances for nematode-host contact and increased host susceptibility due to stress via reduced food resources and increased aggression between larvae.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Lemma Ebssa, Albrecht M. Koppenhöfer
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment/habitat manipulation
