Potential role of Collembola as biotic mortality agents for entomopathogenic Nematodes

• Published in: Pedobiologia Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 30 - 38
• Main Authors: Gilmore, S.K. (Alice Lloyd Coll., Pippa Passes (USA)), Potter, D.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Jena Urban & Fischer 1993
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; BIOLOGICAL CONTROL; COLLEMBOLA; Control; CONTROL BIOLOGICO; Entomobryidae; EXPERIMENTATION EN LABORATOIRE; EXPERIMENTOS EN LABORATORIO; Folsomia candida; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GRAMINEAS PARA CESPEDES; GRAMINEE A GAZON; Invertebrates; Isotomidae; LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS; LAWN GRASSES; LUTTE BIOLOGIQUE; Nematoda; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Protozoa. Invertebrates; SCARABAEIDAE; Sinella caeca; STEINERNEMATIDAE; Folsomia candida; Predator prey relation; Entomopathogen; Laboratory study; Coleoptera; Insecta; Biological control; Popillia japonica; Entomobryidae; Steinernematidae; Galleria mellonella; Antagonism; Turf; Soil fauna; Pest; Isotomidae; Pyralidae; Arthropoda; Lepidoptera; Scarabaeidae; Collembola; Predation; Invertebrata; Nematophagous
• ISSN: 0031-4056; 1873-1511
• DOI: 10.1016/S0031-4056(24)00083-0

The capacity for the collembolans Folsomia candida (Isotomidae) and Sinella caeca (Entomobryidae) to consume three species of entomopathogenic steinernematid nematodes and to reduce the effectiveness of nematode applications against larvae of the wax moth, Galleria mellonella (Pyralidae) and Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica (Scarabaeidae) was studied in the laboratory. Both collembolans readily consumed large numbers of nematodes. Phoresy or adverse effects of nematodes on Collembola were not observed. Mortality of wax moth larvae caused by Steinernema carpocapsae declined markedly as the time of prior exposure of the nematodes to collembolan predation increased. As few as five F. candida added to chambers containing 100 or 200 S. carpocapsae caused significant reductions in nematode-induced mortality of G. mellonella within 24 h. In contrast, presence of Collembola did not reduce the efficacy of nematodes against P. japonica grubs in turfgrass plugs. Collembolan predation may be more likely to reduce the effectiveness of nematode applications against surface-feeding insects than against subterranean root-feeders.