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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #136916
Title: HETERORHABDITIS ZELANDICA: A NEW TOOL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF WHITE GRUBS IN TURFGRASS AND ORNAMENTALS

Author
item GREWAL, PARWINDER - OSU
item POWER, KEVIN - OSU
item Klein, Michael

Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/11/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We compared the susceptibility of the introduced Popillia japonica and the native Cyclocephala borealis to 16 species and strains of entomopathogenic nematodes isolated from within or outside the geographic ranges of the two scarabs. We found large variation in the virulence of the species/strains of nematodes with over 50% mortality of P. japonica produced by Heterorhabditis zealandica strain XI and H. bacteriophora strain GPS 11 and of C. borealis by H. zealandica and H. bacteriophora strains KMD 10 and NC 1. Heterorhabditis indica and H. marelatus caused less than 20% mortality of both scarab species. Dose response studies with selected nematode species and strains against P. japonica and two additional non-native species Anomala {Exomala) orientalis and Rhizotrogus majalis and the native C. borealis indicated that R. majalis was the least susceptible and P. japonica and A. orientalis were as susceptible as the native C. borealis. Heterorhabditis zealandica was significantly more virulent than any other species or strain against with a LC50 of 272 infective juveniles/grub. The LC3o and LC5o values for H. zealandica were also the lowest among the four nematode species/strains tested against A. orientalis and C. borealis. The LC5o values for H. zealandica and H. megidis (UK strain) were significantly lower for the native C. borealis than the introduced A. orientalis. Heterorhabditis zealandica also showed the highest penetration efficiency and the lowest encapsulation in P. japonica and C. borealis grubs. Field trials also revealed superiority of H. zealandica over all other nematodes species and strains tested in controlling both P. japonica and C. borealis.