Soil microarthropod communities reduce Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae) host infection
2018
Helmberger, Maxwell S. | Shields, Elson J. | Wickings, Kyle G.
Biological control agents applied to soil, such as entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), are exposed to a wide variety of organisms other than the pest that they are utilized against. Interactions with these other organisms may positively or negatively affect EPN performance and may be important for managers to take into account when using EPNs to control pests. The present study assessed the effect of soil microarthropods on the EPN Heterorhabditis bacteriophora with respect to establishment within and infection of wax moth Galleria mellonella larvae in soil arenas. The presence of soil microarthropods at typical field densities significantly reduced the establishment of H. bacteriophora adults within G. mellonella larvae and also reduced the percentage of hosts infected in one of two replicated trials. Specifically, adult EPN establishment was negatively correlated with the abundance of mesostigmatid mites. The results of the present study indicate that soil microarthropods at natural abundances can reduce EPN establishment even within the structurally complex environment of soil, although this does not always lead to reductions in insect infection rates.
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