EC Clinical and Medical Case Reports

The pathogenicity and the life cycle of the isolate of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae) associated with Photorhabdus spp. was studied against the larvae of Phyllophaga spp, Liriomyza spp., Busseola fusca and adult stage of Locusta migratoria. The study was done under laboratory conditions and this is the first record of such study in Nigeria. The efficacy of ranged from 60 - 100% and the lethal concentration of nematode-bacteria complex required to kill 50 - 99% of the pest populations ranged from 34 IJ/host to 509 IJ/host for adult of Locusta migratoria which is the most susceptible of the hosts, 89 IJ/larva to 141 IJ/larva for Liriomyza spp., 99 IJ/larva to 894/larva for Busseola fusca and 105 IJ/larva to 4073 IJ/larva for Phyllophaga spp. being the least susceptible host. The reproductive rate of the nematodes-bacteria complexes ranged from 1,462 infective juveniles per host for adult Locusta migratoria, 2,286 infective juveniles per larva for Busseola fusca, 1,576 infective juveniles per larva for Liriomyza spp. and 2,297 infective juveniles per larva for Phyllophaga spp. From the evidence obtained from this study therefore, the indigenous isolate of nematodes-bacteria complexes from kashere, Nigeria produced up to 100% mortality in all the hosts tested. This isolate also reproduced successfully in all the hosts hence it can be employed for the potential biological control and management of these pests in Kashere and Nigeria.

Keywords: Heterorhabditis bacteriophora; Biological Control; Nigeria; Mortality; Reproductive Rate

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