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Comparative Virulence of Entomopathogenic Nematodes to the Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida Murray, Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

George N. Mbata

George N. Mbata

Entomology Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State UniversityFort Valley, USA
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Mbata, George N.
, 
Kaitlyn Browning

Kaitlyn Browning

Entomology Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State UniversityFort Valley, USA
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Browning, Kaitlyn
, 
Sanower Warsi

Sanower Warsi

Entomology Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State UniversityFort Valley, USA
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Warsi, Sanower
, 
Yinping Li

Yinping Li

Entomology Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State UniversityFort Valley, USA
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Li, Yinping
, 
James D. Ellis

James D. Ellis

Honeybee Research and Extension Laboratory, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of FloridaGainesville, USA
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Ellis, James D.
, 
Lambert H. Kanga

Lambert H. Kanga

Center for Biological Control, Florida A&M UniversityTallahassee, USA
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Kanga, Lambert H.
 and 
David I. Shapiro-Ilan

David I. Shapiro-Ilan

USDA-ARS, SE Fruit and Tree Nut Research UnitByron, USA
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Shapiro-Ilan, David I.
  
Mar 29, 2025
Comparative Virulence of Entomopathogenic Nematodes to the Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida Murray, Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)'s Cover Image
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Article Category: Research Paper
Published Online: Mar 29, 2025
Received: Jan 15, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2025-0011
Keywords
© 2025 George N. Mbata et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Figure 1:

Percent seven-day mortality (Mean ± s.e.) of Aethina tumida wandering larvae after treatment with four population densities of Heterorhabditis floridensis (K22). The data were graphed with one-way ANOVA using Tukey’s Kramer multiple comparison test. Different letters above the bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05).
Percent seven-day mortality (Mean ± s.e.) of Aethina tumida wandering larvae after treatment with four population densities of Heterorhabditis floridensis (K22). The data were graphed with one-way ANOVA using Tukey’s Kramer multiple comparison test. Different letters above the bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05).

Figure 2:

Dose-response curve showing the mortality of Aethina tumida wandering larvae given increasing doses of Heterorhabditis floridensis (K22). The dashed red curve represents actual observations. Solid red lines show the intersection of the log dose and 50% mortality to find the LD50, represented by the black star. The model fit was evaluated with R2 = 0.70.
Dose-response curve showing the mortality of Aethina tumida wandering larvae given increasing doses of Heterorhabditis floridensis (K22). The dashed red curve represents actual observations. Solid red lines show the intersection of the log dose and 50% mortality to find the LD50, represented by the black star. The model fit was evaluated with R2 = 0.70.

Figure 3:

Percent mortality (Mean ±SE) of Aethina tumida wandering larvae after treatment with one of three entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) species: Steinernema carpocapsae (All), Heterorhabditis floridensis (K22), and H. georgiana (Kesha) after different inoculation weeks (3, 4, 5, or 6 weeks post-inoculation) in the laboratory persistence experiment. The data were graphed with one-way ANOVA using Tukey’s Kramer multiple mean comparison test. Different letters above the bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05).
Percent mortality (Mean ±SE) of Aethina tumida wandering larvae after treatment with one of three entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) species: Steinernema carpocapsae (All), Heterorhabditis floridensis (K22), and H. georgiana (Kesha) after different inoculation weeks (3, 4, 5, or 6 weeks post-inoculation) in the laboratory persistence experiment. The data were graphed with one-way ANOVA using Tukey’s Kramer multiple mean comparison test. Different letters above the bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05).

Figure 4:

Percentage mortality (Mean ±SE) of Aethina tumida wandering larvae following inoculation with entomopathogenic nematodes infective juveniles after four different inoculation weeks (3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-weeks post inoculation) in the laboratory persistence experiment. The data were pooled utilizing three nematode strains. Different letters above bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05, Tukey’s Kramer multiple mean comparison test).
Percentage mortality (Mean ±SE) of Aethina tumida wandering larvae following inoculation with entomopathogenic nematodes infective juveniles after four different inoculation weeks (3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-weeks post inoculation) in the laboratory persistence experiment. The data were pooled utilizing three nematode strains. Different letters above bars indicate significant differences (P < 0.05, Tukey’s Kramer multiple mean comparison test).

Mean percent mortality (± s_e_) of Aethina tumida wandering larvae after treatments with two entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) species after six incubation weeks (1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6 weeks post-inoculation) in the greenhouse persistence experiment_

Week post inoculation Water (control) Heterorhabditis floridensis (K22) Steinernema carpocapsae (All)
1 28 ± 10.1aB 70.6 ± 6.27bA 86 ± 6.86abA
2 28 ± 10.1aB 84 ± 5.31abA 85.33 ± 4.42abA
3 28 ± 10.1aB 100 ± 0.00aA 98.66 ± 0.81aA
4 44 ± 23.1aA 72.66 ± 3.71bA 69.33 ± 3.85bcA
5 44 ± 13.2aA 68 ± 5.22bA 56.66 ± 5.27cA
6 44 ± 13.2aB 93.33 ± 1.05aA 94.66 ± 2.70aA

Entomopathogenic nematode strains used in virulence experiments

Entomopathogenic nematode Strain Abbreviation in manuscript Commercial availability
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora VS Hb (VS) Yes
  H. floridensis K22 Hf (K22) No
  H. georgiana Kesha Hb (Kesha) No
  H. indica HOM1 Hi (HOM1) Yes
Steinernema carpocapsae All Sc (All) Yes
  S. rarum 17C+E Sr (17C+E) No
  S. riobrave 355 Sr (355) Yes

Mortality (%) of Aethina tumida wandering larvae after treatment with one of seven entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) species after one of five inoculation days (1-, 2-, 3-, 7-, or 14-days post inoculation)_

Days post inoculation Mean ± S.E.
Water (control) Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (VS) Heterorhabditis floridensis (K22) Heterorhabditis georgiana (Kesha) Heterorhabditis indica (HOM1) Steinernema carpocapsae (All) Steinernema rarum (17c+e) Steinernema riobrave (355)
1 0 0 3 ± 3 0 0 0 0 0
2 0 3 ± 3 10 ± 5 8 ± 4 5 ± 5 5 ± 3 0 3 ± 3
3 0c 13 ± 4abc 10 ± 5abc 8 ± 4abc 5 ± 3bc 25 ± 7ab 30 ± 8a 5 ± 3bc
7 3 ± 3d 53 ± 5bc 88 ± 4a 44 ± 8c 53 ± 12bc 100a 80 ± 8ab 88 ± 6a
14 10 ± 3d 70 ± 5bc 100 ± 4a 78 ± 6ab 45 ± 10c 100a 78 ± 11ab 93 ± 5ab
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