Biological control of Ceratitis capitata with entomopathogenic nematodes
Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae – EPPO A2 List) is a highly polyphagous pest which has been recorded from more than 350 different confirmed hosts worldwide. Entomopathogenic nematodes have the potential to kill soil dwelling life stages of C. capitata. In a laboratory experiment, a culture of C. capitata was established from field collected flies from Citrus aurantium from Attica (Greece). Four nematode species, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, H. downesi, Steinernema carpοcapsae and S. feltiae, were used in the experiment with varying dose levels. Each nematode species was applied to a soil substrate where 100 late instar larvae of C. capitata were added and allowed to burrow into the soil and pupate. In addition, field trials (applying the nematode solution to soil) were carried out early in the season (March – May) and late in the season (October - November) in a citrus grove at the Koniario Intitute, Corinthos Greece. In the laboratory experiment all treatments (dose and different species) led to significant reductions in the emergence of C. capitata. Field trials in early and off-season showed that a single application of S. feltiae at a moderate dose regime can provide approximately 62–65 % suppression of adult C. capitata. Nematode application in the field, in combination with other management methods could potentially provide significant suppression of C. capitata populations.
Sources
Kapranas A, Chronopoulou A, Peters A, Antonatos S, Lytra I, Milonas P, Papachristos D (2023) Early and off-season biological control of medfly with entomopathogenic nematodes: from laboratory experiments to successful field trials. Biological Control 179, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2023.105173