<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) infect and kill insects and have been successfully used in the biological control of some insect pests. Slugs and snails are known to be significant pests of agriculture and serve as vectors for disease-causing microbes that can affect crops and humans. The potential of EPNs to be used in the biological control of gastropods has not been well-studied. The few studies that have been performed on the efficacy of EPNs in controlling gastropod pests and vectors were reviewed. Suggested criteria for further assessments of EPN-gastropod interactions are: Dose of EPNs used, length of infection assays, host biology, nematode biology and development, and Koch’s postulates. There are provocative data suggesting that EPNs may be useful biological control agents against gastropod pests of agriculture and vectors of disease, though additional studies using the suggested criteria are needed, including the publication of negative data or studies where EPNs were not efficacious or successful in controlling gastropods.</p>
</abstract>

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) infect and kill insects and have been successfully used in the biological control of some insect pests. Slugs and snails are known to be significant pests of agriculture and serve as vectors for disease-causing microbes that can affect crops and humans. The potential of EPNs to be used in the biological control of gastropods has not been well-studied. The few studies that have been performed on the efficacy of EPNs in controlling gastropod pests and vectors were reviewed. Suggested criteria for further assessments of EPN-gastropod interactions are: Dose of EPNs used, length of infection assays, host biology, nematode biology and development, and Koch’s postulates. There are provocative data suggesting that EPNs may be useful biological control agents against gastropod pests of agriculture and vectors of disease, though additional studies using the suggested criteria are needed, including the publication of negative data or studies where EPNs were not efficacious or successful in controlling gastropods.

<article-title xml:lang="en">Entomopathogenic nematode-gastropod interactions

Journal of Nematology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Entomopathogenic nematode-gastropod interactions

{"article-title":{"xml:lang":"en","content":"Entomopathogenic nematode-gastropod interactions"}}

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) infect and kill insects and have been successfully used in the biological control of some insect pests. Slugs and snails are...

Entomopathogenic nematode-gastropod interactions

Published Online: Jun 29, 2021

Page range: 1 - 10

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/jofnem-2021-061

Keywords
Biological control, Entomopathogenic nematode, Gastropod, Host-parasite interaction, Management, Methodology

© 2021 Jacob Schurkman et al., published by Sciendo.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Entomopathogenic nematode-gastropod interactions

Published Online: Jun 29, 2021

Page range: 1 - 10

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/jofnem-2021-061

KeywordsBiological control, Entomopathogenic nematode, Gastropod, Host-parasite interaction, Management, Methodology

© 2021 Jacob Schurkman et al., published by Sciendo.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Biological control, Entomopathogenic nematode, Gastropod, Host-parasite interaction, Management, Methodology