ABSTRACT
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are potential biological controllers of spittlebug nymphs. With the aim to evaluate the efficiency of EPNs against the other life stages (eggs and adults) of Mahanarva spectabilis, an assay was developed in laboratory conditions. Eggs at different embrionary development phases were exposed to the EPNs Steinernema anomali. S. carpocapsae. S. feltiae. S. riobrave. Heterorhabditis amazonensis RSC1, H. amazonensis RSC5, Heterorhabditis sp. JPM3, Heterorhabditis indica LPP1 and Heterorhabditis sp. PI in a 2 mL aqueous suspension of 2,000 IJ/mL concentration. The efficiency of the pathogens was evaluated by way of egg desiccation after 7 days. In the assay with adults the experimental units consisted of cages containing spittlebug adults exposed to an aqueous suspension (20 mL) with 8,000 IJs/mL of Steinernema riobrave (treatment), and mortality and recovered eggs number were compared with the same parameters of cages free of nematodes (control group). No individual mortality was observed, nor was there a reduction in recovered egg number between the treated and control cages. The presence of nematodes presented no influence on the adults staying on the substrate. Thus, there was no vulnerability in these stages of development of the insect to these pathogens, and therefore it should not be applied for the control of these insect development phases.
KEY WORDS
Cercopidae; microbial control;
Heterorhabditis
; pastures;
Steinernema
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