New Strains of the Entomopathogenic Nematodes Steinernema scarabaei, S. glaseri, and S. cubanum for White Grub Management

Simple SummaryWhite grubs are important pests of many agricultural and horticultural crops. We tested four entomopathogenic nematode isolates recently isolated from infected white grubs in turfgrass areas in central New Jersey, USA for the biological control of three white grub species that are pest...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2024-12, Vol.15 (12), p.1022
Main Authors: Koppenhöfer, Albrecht M, Sousa, Ana Luiza
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Anomala orientalis
Beetles
Biological control
Cadavers
Cyclocephala borealis
Drinking water
Entomopathogenic nematodes
Experiments
Farm buildings
Horticultural crops
Horticulture
insect-parasitic nematodes
Laboratories
Laboratory tests
Larvae
Mortality
Nematodes
Ornamental plants
Pests
Plant sciences
Popillia japonica
scarab
Steinernema
Turf
Turfgrasses
Virulence
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Summary:Simple SummaryWhite grubs are important pests of many agricultural and horticultural crops. We tested four entomopathogenic nematode isolates recently isolated from infected white grubs in turfgrass areas in central New Jersey, USA for the biological control of three white grub species that are pests of turfgrass and ornamental plants. Against oriental beetle and Japanese beetle larvae, the Steinernema scarabaei Ad and S. scarabaei SL isolates caused very high mortality at low rates in laboratory tests, whereas S. cubanum HF was less virulent and S. glaseri SH the least virulent isolate. None of the isolates caused high mortality of northern masked chafer larvae. Nematode efficacy in greenhouse tests against oriental beetle larvae followed the same pattern. The original isolate of S. scarabaei, the AMK001 strain, that had been maintained in the laboratory on white grubs as hosts for 19 years, showed the same virulence level as it did soon after its first isolation and was also as virulent as the fresh S. scarabaei Ad isolate. Future tests should determine the ability of these white grub-adapted nematode isolates to provide long-term suppression of white grub populations.
ISSN:2075-4450
DOI:10.3390/insects15121022