| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4503984 | Biological Control | 2014 | 4 Pages |
•First record of nematodes of genus Heterorhabditis infecting D. nitens.•H. bacteriophora HP88 and H. indica LPP1 showed virulence to D. nitens.•H. bacteriophora HP88 and H. indica LPP1 in the highest concentration resulted in efficacy above 95%.•H. bacteriophora HP88 and H. indica LPP1 are promising agents for biological control for D. nitens.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of the entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) Heterorhabditis bacteriophora HP88 and Heterorhabditis indica LPP1 on the reproductive biology of partially engorged females of Dermacentor nitens. Four groups were formed, with each group containing 10 females and exposed to concentrations of 0, 75, 300, and 1200 nematodes for each female. This procedure was performed separately for each nematode. The following biological parameters were evaluated: egg mass weight, egg production index, hatching percentage, and percentage of control. H. bacteriophora HP88 at the two highest concentrations (300 and 1200 EPNs/female) caused a reduction (p < 0.05) on the egg mass and egg production index. Was noted a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the percentage of hatched in all the treated groups. For H. indica LPP1, all treatments resulted in decreased (p < 0.05) values for all the parameters. The percentages of controls obtained at concentrations of 75, 300, and 1200 EPNs/female were 56.3, 89.3, and 98.8 and 77.5, 77.1, and 95.9 for H. bacteriophora HP88 and H. indica LPP1, respectively. Therefore, it is concluded that these nematodes showed pathogenicity toward partially engorged females of D. nitens, thereby negatively affecting the reproductive biology of this tick.
Graphical abstractPercentage of control of partially engorged females of Dermacentor nitens treated with differents concentrations of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora HP88 and Heterorhabditis indica LPP1 under laboratory conditions (27 ± 1 °C and RH 80 ± 10%).Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide
