Efficacy of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Strain Oli) in Relation to Temperature, Concentration and Origin of the Infective Juvenile

Abstract

The effects of temperature and inoculum density on the biocontrol efficacy of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora were studied. Efficacy of infective juveniles from hermaphroditic females and amphimictic females were compared using Galleria mellonella as hosts. The infective juveniles were placed in contact with insects at concentrations of 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 individuals per host. Temperatures varied between 12C and 36C at intervals of 2C. Temperature, concentration of infective juveniles and origin of juveniles had significant influences (P 0.01) on host mortality. Highest mortality was recorded at 26C. Infective juveniles of the hermaphrodites killed more G. mellonella than did those of the amphimictic females.