Potential of the entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis marelatus, isolate in controlling the peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tiphritidae)

Abstract

The peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tiphritidae), is an economic insect pest attacking the fruits of mangoes, apricots, guava, citrus, and peaches. This pest is difficult to be controlled by the traditional chemicals due to the behavior of its larvae that hide inside the fruits or its pupae that pupate in the soil. The present study documented the molecular identification and the first record of the entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis marelatus D1 from Egypt. Environmental characterization showed that the new isolate was superior than the commercialized species, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, in heat tolerance (higher more than five times), desiccation tolerance (higher than four times), and hypoxic tolerance (higher than about two times). Comparative virulence of the reference nematode to the larvae of the great wax moth, Galleria mellonella L., was carried out. When applied to the soil, the new isolate showed high potency in controlling B. zonata adults emerged from their pupae as it killed over 77% of the adults within 48 h after emergence.