How to translate text using browser tools
1 September 2018 Potential Use of Local Entomopathogenic Nematodes to Control Bradysia impatiens (Diptera: Sciaridae) Under Laboratory Conditions
A. Katumanyane, T. Ferreira, A.P. Malan
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Bradysia spp. are major pests of undercover crops, to which they can cause considerable economic loss. The use of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) for the control of Bradysia spp. has proven to be relatively advantageous, since sciarids are mostly pests of undercover crops that have a short lifecycle, or for which the application of pesticides is unsuitable. In this study, eight South African local EPN species and a non-native EPN species, namely Steinernema feltiae, were tested for their ability to kill Bradysia impatiens larvae at different temperatures. The results showed four local EPN species, Steinernema yirgalemense, Heterorhabditis noenieputensis, Heterorhabditis indica and Heterorhabditis zealandica, achieving higher than 80 % mortality, at 25 °C and 30 °C, from the different bioassays performed. Heterorhabditis zealandica had the lowest LD50 of 2.60 infective juveniles (IJs) per larva and LD90 of 18.68 IJs/larva. Steinernema yirgalemense had an LD50 of 8.98 and an LD90 of 64.16, which were similar to those of H. indica. Steinernema yirgalemense, H. indica and H. zealandica were all able to reproduce inside the fourth-instar larvae of B. impatiens, and to produce IJs. The relatively larger nematodes, Steinernema jeffreyense, Steinernema khoisanae, and Steinernema litchii were unable to infect the fourth-instar larvae of B. impatiens, which indicated that the size of the EPNs affected their ability to infect fungus gnat larvae. This study demonstrated the high potential for the use of locally isolated EPNs for the control of fungus gnats in South Africa.

©Entomological Society of Southern Africa
A. Katumanyane, T. Ferreira, and A.P. Malan "Potential Use of Local Entomopathogenic Nematodes to Control Bradysia impatiens (Diptera: Sciaridae) Under Laboratory Conditions," African Entomology 26(2), 337-349, (1 September 2018). https://doi.org/10.4001/003.026.0337
Received: 29 May 2017; Accepted: 27 July 2018; Published: 1 September 2018
JOURNAL ARTICLE
13 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
biocontrol
Fungus gnats
Heterorhabditis
South Africa
Steinernema
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top