Sustainability and the increased use of integrated pest management strategies are now the new emerging strategies in global agriculture and a direct result of the over and indiscrimate use of pesticides in the past. In this context, this chapter sheds light on beneficial nematodes (focusing on...

This chapter discusses the discovery and commercialization of slug parasitic nematodes. It describes the culturing, harvesting, storing, commercial production, host range and application (to control slug damage to plants under field conditions) of Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita. The influence of...

This book contains chapters that capture the full breadth of the basic and applied information on entomopathogenic (EPNs) and slug parasitic nematodes (SPNs) that are used or have potential in the management of insect pests, molluscs and/or other researched targets such as plant parasitic...

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) commonly refer to species of Steinernema and Heterorhabditis. This chapter provides a general overview of EPN research and development in Canada, focusing on the specific knowledge gap in EPN biodiversity. The status of EPNs in integrated pest management strategies ...

This chapter outlines the historical records of insect nematology before highlighting the major groups of beneficial nematodes. These include entomopathogenic nematodes to use against insect pests, slug nematodes to manage mollusc pests, entomophilic nematodes such as Thripinema to manage thrips,...

The entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are representatives of Nematoda, which are characterized by: (i) adult stages found in nature only inside the cadavers of insects killed and processed by symbiotic bacteria; (ii) infective (= dauer) juveniles being the only free-living stage in soil. Presently, ...

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) parasitize the insect host by entering into the host body, and they lead an endoparasitic mode of life. The symbiotic bacteria associated with them play an important role in the suppression of insect pests. Approximately 30-500 symbiotic bacteria (including ...

The entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs; families Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae) have a mutualistic symbiotic association with enteric Gammaproteobacteria (Steinernema/Xenorhabdus and Heterorhabditis/Photorhabdus), which confer high virulence against insects. EPNs are a natural mortality...

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) belonging to the genera Heterorhabditis and Steinernema possess the attribute of potential biological insecticides and are therefore attractive from a commercial viewpoint. These nematodes, in general, are relatively conserved in gross morphology such as...

Although the host range of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) includes more than 200 insect species, nematodes have only been marketed successfully for a small fraction of these insects. Accordingly, in this chapter, lepidopteran insect pests representing different agroecosystems are selected to...