Heterorhabditis amazonensis (Rhabditidae: Heterorhabditidae), strain RSC-5, for biological control of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae).
The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different doses of Heterorhabditis amazonensis RSC-5 on the biological parameters of engorged females of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. The female ticks, individually identified, were divided into six groups of 20 each and exposed to the following nematode concentrations: 0, 75, 150, 300, 600, and 1,200/female. The following parameters were observed: initial weight, final weight, alteration weight, egg mass weight, pre-oviposition period, oviposition period, survival period, incubation period, hatching percentage, reproductive efficiency index (REI), nutritional efficiency index (NI), and percentage of control. There were no significant differences observed for the initial weight, pre-oviposition period, incubation period, and NI (p > 0.05) between the various treated groups and the control group. However, there were significant differences (p < 0.01) for the oviposition and survival periods between all the treated groups and the control group. For the final weight, alteration weight, egg mass weight, and REI, only the treatment with 1,200 nematode/female did not differ significantly from the respective figures for the control group (p > 0.05). The highest control rate was 67.8%, obtained in the treatment with a concentration of 300 entomopathogenic nematodes/female. The results demonstrate that this nematode has a deleterious effect on the majority of the biological parameters analyzed.
Monteiro
Caio Márcio de Oliveira
CM
Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. caiosat@gmail.com
Prata
Márcia Cristina de Azevedo
MC
Furlong
John
J
Faza
Aline Pasqualini
AP
Mendes
Andressa Silva
AS
Andaló
Vanessa
V
Moino-Junior
Alcides
A
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D010058:Oviposition; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D017172:Rhabditoidea / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D048494:Rhipicephalus / Q000469:parasitology*; D016019:Survival Analysis