ENTOMOLOGY 135

INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

Biology of Entomogenous and Entomopathic Nematodes

I. Nematodes - General information

1. General life cycle
2. Many families
   1. Most with debilitating effects on insect host
   2. Common in many insect species
   3. Usually fairly low rates of parasitism
3. Mermithids -- similar to parasitoids
   1. Life cycle of Romanomermis culicivorax
   2. Effect on host
   3. Period of lethal infection

II. Steinernematids and Heterorhabditids

1. Description of infective (dauer) stage
2. Association with the bacterium Xenorhabdus
3. Life cycle of nematodes (period of lethal infection)
4. Strategies for infection of host
   1. Ambusher (Sit and wait strategist)
   2. Cruiser (Active foraging strategist)
   3. Continuum (Ambusher to Cruiser)
5. Similarities and differences between Steinernema and Heterorhabditis
6. Host range
7. Facultative or obligate pathogen

III. The woodwasps (Sirex) and nematode (Deladenus); video in lab

Selected references

• Gaugler, R. and H. K. Kaya.1990. Entomopathogenic Nematodes in Biological Control. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.
• Kaya, H. K.1993. Entomogenous and entomopathogenic nematodes in biological control. In: Plant Parasitic Nematodes in Temperate Agriculture, K. Evans, D. L. Trudgill, and J. M. Webster, eds. pp. 565-591. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.
• Kaya, H. K. and R. Gaugler.1993. Entomopathogenic nematodes. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 38:181-206.
• Poinar, G. O. 1979. Nematodes for Biological Control of Insects. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.

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