Assessment of a rhabditid nematode, Rhabditis necromena Sudhaus and Schulte, as a biological control agent against the millipede Spinotarsus caboverdus Pierrard in the Cape Verde Islands, West Africa

McKillup, S. C.; Harten, A van; Neves, A. M.

Assessment of a rhabditid nematode, Rhabditis necromena Sudhaus and Schulte, as a biological control agent against the millipede Spinotarsus caboverdus Pierrard in the Cape Verde Islands, West Africa

1991

McKillup, S. C. | Harten, A van | Neves, A. M.

The millipede Spinotarsus caboverdus Pierrard is an agricultural pest on the island of Santo Antao in the Cape Verde Islands, West Africa. All evidence suggests that S. caboverdus is not native to Cape Verde, but the actual country of origin is not known, thereby preventing attempts at classical biological control. In South Australia the nematode Rhabditis necromena Sudhaus and Schulte has been used as a biological control agent against the introduced Portuguese millipede Ommatoiulus moreleti Lucas. Considering the recent expansion of the host range of R. necromena, this species was assessed in both laboratory and field experiments as a possible biological control agent against S. caboverdus. Whilst R. necromena was capable of killing S. caboverdus in the laboratory, levels of infection in the field were extremely low. The reasons for this difference are discussed in the context of the success rate of attempts at biological control.

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