Montana Native Entomopathogenic Nematode Species Against Limonius californicus (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

Wireworms are destructive soil inhabiting polyphagous pests in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain region of the United States. Continuously increasing wireworm populations and damage in small grain crops such as spring wheat in Northern Great Plains has become a challenge for growers. Due to un...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of economic entomology 2020-10, Vol.113 (5), p.2104-2111
Main Authors: Sandhi, Ramandeep Kaur, Shapiro-Ilan, David, Reddy, Gadi V. P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Beetles
Bioassays
BIOLOGICAL AND MICROBIAL CONTROL
Biological control
Coleoptera
Elateridae
Entomopathogenic nematodes
Grain crops
Herbivores
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora
Indigenous species
Insects
Introduced species
Laboratories
Larva
Larvae
Limonius californicus
Montana
Nematoda
Pest Control, Biological
Pests
Rhabditida
Shade
Soil types
Spring wheat
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Summary:Wireworms are destructive soil inhabiting polyphagous pests in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain region of the United States. Continuously increasing wireworm populations and damage in small grain crops such as spring wheat in Northern Great Plains has become a challenge for growers. Due to unavailability of effective control measures, alternative methods, including biological control agents such as entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are needed. Native/indigenous EPN species are expected to have better potential than exotic species to control the local insect pests. Two Montana native EPN species (Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) were tested against, Limonius californicus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in laboratory and shade house studies. In the laboratory bioassay, two isolates of S. feltiae at the rate of 28,000 IJs/ five larvae killed 48–50% of the insects within 4 wk. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora was not able to cause >30% L. californicus larval mortality. None of the two isolates of S. feltiae performed well against L. californicus when tested in different soil types. Similarly, two isolates of S. feltiae that were tested killed only 20–25% wireworms in a shade house trial that did not differ significantly from the control treatment. Four weeks after EPN treatment in the shade house trial, the percentage of wheat plant damage from L. californicus ranged from 30 to 40% in the presence of S. felitae, not differing statistically from control. These results suggest that S. felitae have limited potential in managing wireworm populations.
ISSN:0022-0493
1938-291X
DOI:10.1093/jee/toaa164