Environmental Entomology (1998) 27, 1514-1519

David B. Taylor, Allen I. Szalanski, Bryon J. Adams and Richard D. Peterson II (1998)
Susceptibility of house fly (Diptera : Muscidae) larvae to entomopathogenic nematodes (Rhabditida : Heterorhabditidae, Steinernematidae)
Environmental Entomology 27 (6), 1514-1519
Abstract: The potential for entomopathogenic nematodes to control flies in cattle feedlots was determined by screening 40 strains representing 8 species of Heterorhabditis Poinar and 5 species of Steinernema Travassos for virulence toward 3rd-instar house flies (maggots), Musca domestica L. None of the 22 strains of Heterorhabditis infecting maggots caused significant levels of mortality in a filter paper assay. Ten strains of Steinemema infected maggots, of which 7 strains (4 S. carpocapsae (Weiser), 2 S. feltiae (Filipjev), and 1 S. scapterisci Nguyen and Smart) caused significant mortality. Ten Heterorhabditis strains and 10 Steinernema strains successfully reproduced for > 2 generations in maggots. No difference was observed between 72-h survival of maggots and adult emergence. Six strains of Steinermena were selected for 10 generations on maggots and then compared with unselected lines. No difference in pathogenicity between selected and unselected lines was observed. Two strains of S. feltiae, SN and UNK-36, and 2 of the best Heterorhabditis strains, H. bacteriophora Poinar OSWEGO and H. megidis Poinar, Jackson and Klein HF-85 were tested in a fresh bovine manure substrate. All 4 strains produced significant fly mortality in the manure substrate, although the S. feltiae strains had significantly lower LC₅₀ values than did the Heterorhabditis spp. The most promising strain, S. feltiae SN, gave LC₅₀ and LC₉₉ values of 4 and 82 infective juveniles per maggot, respectively. These doses were equivalent to 2.7 and 55 infective juveniles per gram of manure and 5.1 and 104 infective juveniles per square centimeter of surface area. Infective juveniles capable of infecting greater wax moth larvae. Galleria meIlonella (L.), survived in manure for up to 10 wk without hosts.
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Database assignments for author(s): David B. Taylor, Byron J. Adams, Allen L. Szalanski

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
evaluation - screening - selection

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Musca domestica
Steinernema carpocapsae/Xenorhabdus nematophila (entomopathogen)	Musca domestica
Steinernema feltiae/Xenorhabdus bovienii (entomopathogen)	Musca domestica
Steinernema scapterisci/Xenorhabdus innexi (entomopathogen)	Musca domestica