Susceptibility of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) and the Natal fruit fly (Ceratitis rosa) to entomopathogenic nematodes.
The potential of entomopathogenic nematodes, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis zealandica and Steinernema khoisanae, to infect pupariating larvae, pupae and adults of Ceratitis capitata and Ceratitis rosa was investigated in laboratory bioassays. Pupariating larvae and adult flies were susceptible to nematode infection, with no infection recorded for the pupae. Pupariating larvae of C. capitata were generally more susceptible to infection than those of C. rosa. Significantly more larvae of C. capitata were infected by H. bacteriophora. For C. rosa, highest infectivity of larvae was obtained with H. zealandica. In contrast, adults of both species were highly infected by S. khoisanae.
Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Faculty of AgriSciences, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland 7602, South Africa. apm@sun.ac.za
Antoinette P
AP
Malan
Aruna
A
Manrakhan
D000818:Animals; D033622:Ceratitis capitata / Q000469:parasitology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007814:Larva / Q000469:parasitology; D012098:Reproduction; D017168:Rhabditida / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D033621:Tephritidae / Q000469:parasitology*