Dimethyl sulfoxide and ascarosides improve the growth and yields of entomopathogenic nematodes in liquid cultures.

Increasing the infective juvenile (IJ) yields of entomopathogenic nematodes in monoxenic culture systems would reduce their production cost for the market. Ascarosides act as universal nematode pheromones with developmental and behavioral effects of nematodes. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is unexpectedly found to enhance the IJ yields of entomopathogenic nematodes on fortified nutrient broth plates.

Influence of the ascarosides on the recovery, yield and dispersal of entomopathogenic nematodes.

Recovery, yield, and dispersal are crucial developmental and behavioral indices for the infective juveniles of entomopathogenic nematodes, which are used as biocontrol agents against a variety of agricultural pests. Ascarosides and isopropylstilbene (ISO) function as nematode pheromones with developmental and behavioral effects. In this study, 11 synthesized ascarosides identified from Caenorhabditis elegans, together with ISO identified from Photorhabdus luminescens, were used to determine their influence on the IJ recovery, growth on agar plates, and dispersal of S.

Evaluation of indigenous entomopathogenic nematodes in Southwest China as potential biocontrol agents against (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

is a notorious leaf feeding insect pest in the Asia-Pacific region and leads to a significant economic loss in vegetable and field crop production. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), lethal parasites of insects, are used as biocontrol agents. Yunnan Province in China is a well-known region due to its rich biodiversity.

Evolution of tRNA gene rearrangement in the mitochondrial genome of ichneumonoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea).

Gene rearrangements in the mitochondrial genome (mt genome) are common in certain insect groups and can be an informative character for phylogenetic reconstruction. However, knowledge of the mechanism and biases of gene rearrangement in insect mt genomes is still limited. With an accelerated rate of gene rearrangements, Hymenoptera is an important group for mt genome rearrangements diversity and for understanding the gene rearrangement evolution in mt genomes.

An innovative strategy for control of fungus gnats using entomopathogenic nematodes alone or in combination with waterlogging.

Chive gnat () is a soil-borne pest of Chinese chives, which causes millions of dollars in yield losses per year. Traditional methods, such as chemical pesticides leave detrimental chemical residues on plants, which potentially threaten human health. To find a sustainable method of reducing the chive gnat, the authors evaluated the effects of waterlogging and the addition of entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) on reducing chive gnat in Chinese chives via three pot experiments and one field demonstration.

Efficacy of Entomopathogenic Nematodes Against the Tobacco Cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Spodoptera litura (F.) is an obnoxious cosmopolitan pest that causes serious damage to different economic crops. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) have the potential to control the S.

The symbiotic bacteria Alcaligenes faecalis of the entomopathogenic nematodes Oscheius spp. exhibit potential biocontrol of plant- and entomopathogenic fungi.

Soil-dwelling entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) kill arthropod hosts by injecting their symbiotic bacteria into the host hemolymph and feed on the bacteria and the tissue of the dying host for several generations cycles until the arthropod cadaver is completely depleted. The EPN-bacteria-arthropod cadaver complex represents a rich energy source for the surrounding opportunistic soil fungal biota and other competitors. We hypothesized that EPNs need to protect their food source until depletion and that the EPN symbiotic bacteria produce volatile and non-volatile exudations that deter different soil fungal groups in the soil.

Effects of Aphidius gifuensis Release on Insect Communities and Diversity in Tobacco Fields of Yunnan Province, China.

Background And Objectives: The biocontrol agent Aphidius gifuensis has widely been released and applied since 1997 to control Myzus persicae in tobacco fields of Yunnan Province, southwestern China, but its ecological effects on the local insect community and diversity have not been described. Biological control agents may effect a diversity of organisms as well as the target for control but such trophic cascades have seldom been studied. This study aimed to explore the effects of A.