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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Byron, Georgia » Fruit and Tree Nut Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #422151
Research Project: Novel Approaches for Managing Key Pests of Peach and Pecan

Location: Fruit and Tree Nut Research

Title: Comparative virulence of entomopathogenic nematodes to the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida Murray, Coleoptera: Nitilutidae)

Author
item MBATA, GEORGE - Fort Valley State University
item GARLAND, KAITLYN - Fort Valley State University
item WARSI, SANOWER - Fort Valley State University
item LI, YINPING - Fort Valley State University
item ELLIS, JAMIE - University Of Florida
item KANGA, LAMBERT - Florida A & M University
item Shapiro Ilan, David

Submitted to: Journal of Nematology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/20/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Pollinators, such as the honey bee, are critical to sustaining various crops. The small hive beetle is a serious pest of honey bees in the United States. The insect pest is very hard to control. Entomopathogenic nematodes (also known as beneficial nematodes) have been shown to control small hive beetle when the insects are pupating in the soil under the hives. These nematodes are natural biopesticides that are safe to humans and the environment. It is important to identify which beneficial nematode species is the best one for controlling small hive beetle. We compared eight different beneficial nematodes species for their ability to kill small hive beetle and persist in the soil. We discovered that two nematode species, (Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterohrabditis flordiensis) were the best because they killed 100% of the beetle larvae after two weeks. These findings are important because the research is consistent with pollinator conservation and enhances the ability to control a major bee pest using environmentally friendly methods.

Technical Abstract: The small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitilutidae has become a ubiquitous, invasive, and highly destructive pest of western honeybee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) hives worldwide. The rapid development of resistance to broad-spectrum chemical insecticides by the beetle, alongside rising concerns over environmental contamination from chemical pesticides, has driven research towards alternative pest management strategies. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) of the families Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae have been established as potential biocontrol agents against soil-dwelling insect pests. However, studies to determine the most appropriate EPN species to control SHB are needed. In this study, an LD50 of '700 infective juveniles (IJ) of EPN/SHB larva were determined through dose-response experiments. This application rate was used to compare the virulence of the following seven species of EPNs against SHB larvae: (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (VS), H. floridensis (K22), H. georgiana (Kesha), H. indica (HOM1), Steinernema carpocapsae (All), S. rarum (17C+E), and S. riobrave (355). Steinernema carpocapsae (All) and H. floridensis (K22) were found to cause 100% larval mortality at 14 days post inoculation. Assays for persistence of virulence of H. floridensis (K22) and S. carpocapsae in the soil over several weeks from a single application found that both species maintained efficacy, causing 96% mortality of SHB larvae by week 6 post inoculation. Future studies will evaluate the impact of ultraviolet radiation and moisture conservation materials on the survival and continued virulence of the EPNs in beehives.