Activity of heterorhabditid nematodes at high temperature and in combination with cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus

Abstract

Percentage survival in aqueous suspensions and infectivity of six Egyptian entomopathogenic nematode isolates from the genus Heterorhabditis varied during the hot period of the year with daily temperature range from 18 to 24 °C. The isolate designated as AS1 had the highest mean of survival (87 %) and infectivity to Galleria mellonella larvae (90 %) after 10 days. When the nematodes coexisted with cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus of 100 × 10⁶ polyhedra inclusion bodies/ml, which was reproduced within and killed Rhynchophorus ferrugineus larvae, the nematode survival was adversely and progressively affected by the increase in the viral suspension. Among tested concentrations, a viral suspension equal to one-fifth size of the nematode and virus suspension is the best for nematode activity in integrated control against the red palm weevil.