Insecticidal effect of six entomopathogenic nematode strains against Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) and Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) (original) (raw)

2012, Journal of Stored Products Research

The insecticidal effect of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae), Heterorhabditis megidis Poinar, Jackson and Klein (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae) and two strains of Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser (Nematoda: Steinernematidae) and Steinernema feltiae Filipjev (Nematoda: Steinernematidae) against the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) and the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) was examined under laboratory conditions. The nematodes were applied at the following doses: 0 (control), 100, 1000, 5000, 10,000 and 20,000 infective juveniles (IJs) per ml, corresponding to 0, 10, 100, 500, 1000, and 2000 IJs per in sect, and their infectivity was tested at 27 C and 70% r.h. after 4 and 8 days of exposure. Adult emergence and progeny production was evaluated 4 and 8 weeks after the initiation of the bioassays. In the case of L. serricorne adults, one strain of S. carpocapsae caused 15.6 and 58.9% mortality after 4 and 8 days exposure, respectively, in semolina treated with 20,000 IJs per ml. On the other hand, larval mortality of L. serricorne did not exceed 19% in all treatments tested. Similarly, larval mortality of T. confusum was low, reaching 15.2 and 22.4% after 4 and 8 days exposure, respectively, at the highest dose tested. This is the first report on the effect of entomopathogenic nematodes against the cigarette beetle L. serricorne. Further experimental work is required to optimize the conditions under which these entomopathogenic nematodes could be used for the effective control of stored-product pests.