During the last decade, there has been heightened interest in augmentative biological control of insects by utilizing inundative releases of insect-parasitic nematodes in the families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae. These nematodes and their associated entomopathogenic bacteria satisfy essential criteria for augmentative biological control. Rapidly increasing knowledge regarding biology, host range, and epidemiology has laid groundwork for the eventual use of these nematodes as effective biological control agents throughout the world. Concurrently, significant advances in large-scale production, formulation, and application methods have been achieved by commercial producers of nematode-based products, which are marketed for biological control of insects through the technique of inundative release in North America, Australia, China, and Europe. Commercial firms producing entomopathogenic nematodes may be able to make important contributions to the development of pest managemen
