The bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens is a symbiont of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. The nematode requires the bacterium for infection of insect larvae and as a substrate for growth and reproduction. The nematodes do not grow and reproduce in insect hosts or on artificial media in the absence of viable P. luminescens cells. In an effort to identify bacterial fact...

The efficacy of natural enemies as biological control agents against insect pests can theoretically be enhanced by artificial selection for high responsiveness to foraging cues. The recent discovery that maize roots damaged by the western corn rootworm (WCR) emit a key attractant for insect-killing nematodes has opened the way to explore whether a selection strategy can improve the control of r...

Abstract Background Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have the potential to supersede larvicidal activity for management of various insect pests. Result Lab experiments were conducted test pathogenicity 2 EPNs local species; Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora at different (IJs/cm ) concentrations against cabbage butterfly, Pieris brassicae (L.). The native isolate was obtaine...

Fitness costs can delay pest resistance to crops that produce insecticidal toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and past research has found that entomopathogens impose fitness costs of Bt resistance. In addition, entomopathogens can be used for integrated pest management by providing biological control of pests. The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera...

Parasitic nematode species often display highly specialized host-seeking behaviors that reflect their specific host preferences. Many such behaviors are triggered by host odors, but little is known about either the specific olfactory cues that trigger these behaviors or the underlying neural circuits. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema carpocapsae are phylogenetically distant insect-...

Diabrotica virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a serious pest that infects maize. Insecticides or entomopathogenic nematodes are used to control the root-damaging larvae. However, such treatments reportedly inconsistent in terms of efficacy under farming conditions. To better understand reasons behind these inconsistencies, we studied seed coatings, as clothianidin; granular soil insectici...