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

<p>The sweetpotato whitefly, <italic>Bemisia tabaci</italic> Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), is a major insect pest on vegetable crops worldwide. Enormous economic losses result from direct and indirect plant damage caused by MEAM1. Biological control using entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) may be an effective alternative strategy against MEAM1 because this pest has developed resistance to most insecticides. First, nine EPN species (<italic>Heterorhabditis bacteriophora</italic>, <italic>H. indica</italic>, <italic>H. georgiana</italic>, <italic>H. floridensis</italic>, <italic>Steinernema feltiae</italic>, <italic>S. carpocapsae</italic>, <italic>S. riobrave</italic>, <italic>S. glaseri</italic>, and <italic>S. rarum</italic>) were investigated for virulence to MEAM1 third instar nymphs on snap bean leaves under laboratory conditions. The mortality of MEAM1 nymphs was evaluated at 3 days post-inoculation (dpi). Compared to the water control, the application of the nine EPN species except <italic>S. glaseri</italic> resulted in significantly higher mortality of MEAM1 nymphs, such as <italic>H. bacteriophora</italic> (66.31%), <italic>H. floridensis</italic> (56.38%), <italic>S. carpocapsae</italic> (54.54%), and <italic>S. rarum</italic> (57.80%). Subsequently, the four virulent EPN species, <italic>H. bacteriophora</italic>, <italic>H. floridensis</italic>, <italic>S. carpocapsae</italic>, and <italic>S. rarum</italic> were evaluated further for virulence to MEAM1 nymphs on snap bean and tomato leaves. The mortality of MEAM1 nymphs was assessed at 3 dpi and 7 dpi. There were no significant differences in MEAM1 nymphal mortality between tomato and snap bean at either 3 dpi or 7 dpi. The mortality of MEAM1 nymphs caused by the application of <italic>H. floridensis</italic> (99.25%) was significantly higher than the other three EPN species and the water control at 7dpi. The results indicate that <italic>H. floridensis</italic> is a very promising biocontrol agent for <italic>B. tabaci</italic> management.</p>
</abstract>

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), is a major insect pest on vegetable crops worldwide. Enormous economic losses result from direct and indirect plant damage caused by MEAM1. Biological control using entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) may be an effective alternative strategy against MEAM1 because this pest has developed resistance to most insecticides. First, nine EPN species (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, H. indica, H. georgiana, H. floridensis, Steinernema feltiae, S. carpocapsae, S. riobrave, S. glaseri, and S. rarum) were investigated for virulence to MEAM1 third instar nymphs on snap bean leaves under laboratory conditions. The mortality of MEAM1 nymphs was evaluated at 3 days post-inoculation (dpi). Compared to the water control, the application of the nine EPN species except S. glaseri resulted in significantly higher mortality of MEAM1 nymphs, such as H. bacteriophora (66.31%), H. floridensis (56.38%), S. carpocapsae (54.54%), and S. rarum (57.80%). Subsequently, the four virulent EPN species, H. bacteriophora, H. floridensis, S. carpocapsae, and S. rarum were evaluated further for virulence to MEAM1 nymphs on snap bean and tomato leaves. The mortality of MEAM1 nymphs was assessed at 3 dpi and 7 dpi. There were no significant differences in MEAM1 nymphal mortality between tomato and snap bean at either 3 dpi or 7 dpi. The mortality of MEAM1 nymphs caused by the application of H. floridensis (99.25%) was significantly higher than the other three EPN species and the water control at 7dpi. The results indicate that H. floridensis is a very promising biocontrol agent for B. tabaci management.

<article-title xml:lang="en">Laboratory virulence of entomopathogenic nematodes to the sweetpotato whitefly, <italic>Bemisia tabaci</italic>


Journal of Nematology

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

Laboratory virulence of entomopathogenic nematodes to the sweetpotato whitefly, 


The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), is a major insect pest on vegetable crops worldwide. Enormous economic losses result...

Laboratory virulence of entomopathogenic nematodes to the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci

Published Online: Nov 26, 2021

Page range: 1 - 8

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/jofnem-2021-096

Keywords
Biological control, Entomopathogenic nematode, Laboratory virulence, Plant protection, Snap bean, Sweetpotato whitefly, Tomato

© 2021 Yinping Li et al., published by Sciendo.

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

Laboratory virulence of entomopathogenic nematodes to the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci

Published Online: Nov 26, 2021

Page range: 1 - 8

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/jofnem-2021-096

KeywordsBiological control, Entomopathogenic nematode, Laboratory virulence, Plant protection, Snap bean, Sweetpotato whitefly, Tomato

© 2021 Yinping Li et al., published by Sciendo.

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

Keywords
Biological control, Entomopathogenic nematode, Laboratory virulence, Plant protection, Snap bean, Sweetpotato whitefly, Tomato