OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF HETERORHABDITID POPULATIONS IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
Authors
R. Y. Myers
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, 64 Nowelo St., Hilo, HI 96720, USA
B. S. Sipes
University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
T. K. Matsumoto
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, 64 Nowelo St., Hilo, HI 96720, USA
C. L. Mello
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, 64 Nowelo St., Hilo, HI 96720, USA
J. S. Mello
Department of Land and Natural Resources, Forestry and Wildlife Division, State of Hawaii, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
A survey of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) in the Hawaiian Islands recovered Heterorhabditis indica and previously undescribed Heterorhabditis species. Using Galleria bait, morbid larvae were recovered from 187 of the 275 samples collected within 100 m of the ocean. Entomopathogenic nematodes were recovered from 21% of morbid larvae. Heterorhabditis indica and Heterorhabditis spp. occurred in 7% and 8% of the total samples, respectively. Half of the heterorhabditids recovered were from the island of Kauai. Heterorhabditis indica was detected on all islands and Heterorhabditis spp. on all islands but Molokai. In filter paper bioassays, the Oahu strains of H. indica were the most infective EPN tested, causing 100% mortality of G. mellonella larvae within 48 hr after inoculation with 10 or more infective juveniles. Heterorhabditis was easily isolated from coastal areas of Hawaii.
