The Invasion, Development and Reproduction of Steinernema carpocapsae (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) in the Diamondback Moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae)
The temperature range for invasion and mortality of diamondback moth (DBM) larvae by Steinernema carpocapsae was 20-30C with an optimum at 25C. There was a linear relationship between the dosage of infective juveniles of S. carpocapsae applied and the number of nematodes entering DBM larvae: the percentage invasion was in the range 10-13% over the dosage tested. Only one generation of S. carpocapsae occurred in DBM larvae and the number of juveniles produced was about 1/50 of the number produced in Galleria mellonella larvae: stunted female nematodes of S. carpocapsae were produced in DBM larvae.
