We used nucleotide sequences of the large subunit ribosomal genes (26S rDNA) to examine evolutionary relationships among species of the genus Pratylenchus (Order: Tylenchida, Family: Pratylenchidae), commonly known as root-lesion nematodes. Ten species of Pratylenchus were studied including, P. penetrans, P. crenatus, P. minyus, P. vulnus, P. thornei, P. musicola, P. coffeae, P. hexincisus, P. ...

Plant defense pathways mediate multitrophic interactions above and belowground. Understanding the effects of these pathways on pests and natural enemies above and belowground holds great potential for designing effective control strategies. Here we investigate the effects of aboveground stimulation of plant defense pathways on the interactions between corn, the aboveground herbivore adult Diabr...

Surveys were conducted in 1994 and 1995 to determine the pest status of the American plum borer, Euzophera semifuneralis (Walker), in New York State stone fruit crops. These surveys indicate that American plum borer is the most important of the wood-boring insects infesting tart cherries and also is an important pest in peaches suffering from canker diseases. It is not prevalent in plums or in ...

Entomopathogenic nematodes are potent biopesticides that can be mass-produced by in vitro or in vivo methods. For in vivo production, consistently high infection rates are critical to efficiency of the process. Our objective was to optimize in vivo inoculation of Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora in Galleria mellonella and Tenebrio molitor by determining effects of inocu...

Generally, microbial control agents such as entomopathogenic nematodes are applied in a curative manner for achieving pest suppression; prophylactic applications are rare. In this study, we determined the ability of two Steinernema carpocapsae strains (All and Hybrid) to prophylactically protect peach trees from damage caused by the peachtree borer, Synanthedon exitiosa, which is a major pest o...

A survey of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) belonging to the families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae was conducted in three municipalities on the Pacific coast of the State of Colima, México, to determine their occurrence and recovery frequency and predominant plant species in cultivated and non-cultivated habitats. Nineteen soil samples were collected: seven from non-cultivated habit...

The recent invasion of the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in northern Italy offered opportunity to explore entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) associated with soil hay meadows. A total 61 sites were considered for nematode sampling, and from 17 them (27.9%) EPNs isolated further characterized molecular morphological techniques as well laboratory bioassays. Two...

A simple null model, particularly germane to small and vulnerable organisms such as parasites, is that local conditions set a stage upon which larger-scale dynamics play out. Soil moisture strongly influences survival of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), which in turn drive trophic cascades by protecting vegetation from root-feeding herbivores. In this study, we examine the mechanisms responsib...

The objective of this study was to determine the susceptibility of the strawberry crown moth, Synanthedon bibionipennis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) larvae to two species of entomopathogenic nematodes. The entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) strain Agriotos and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Steiner) strain Oswego were evaluated in laboratory soil bioassays and th...

Use of entomopathogenic nematodes against foliage pests is commonly perceived to be limited by their tolerance to temperature, desiccation and UV radiation. The effect of these abiotic factors on the infective juveniles (ijs) of two isolates of Steinernema spp. (SSL85), two isolates of Steinernema spp. (M87), Heterorhabditis n.sp. and H. indicus recovered from selected sites within Peninsular M...