Engorged and partially engorged females of Boophilus microplus were exposed to 600; 3,000; 6,000 and 30,000 infective juveniles of Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser, 1955 Santa Rosa and All strains per dish, under lab conditions. Eggs weight, pre-laying period, laying period, survival period, reproductive efficiency rate, percentage of larval eclosion and lethal concentrations of 50% and 90% (CL50 and CL90) were calculated for engorged females. In the case of partially engorged females, only egg weight, survival period and CL50 and CL90 were calculated. All biological parameters of engorged or partially engorged females were altered by exposition of S. carpocapsae infective juveniles (IJs), Santa Rosa and All strains (p<0.05). The increase in the response was directly proportional to the increase of IJs concentration per Petri dish (p<0.05). Results suggested that entomopathogenic nematodes could have a positive role in the control of cattle tick.
Boophilus microplus; Steinernema carpocapsae; entomopathogenic nematodes; cattle tick; reproduction
