Enhanced Infectivity of Steinernema glaseri in Corcyra cephalonica Treated with Hot Water and UV Radiation

The research investigates the effectiveness of physical stressors in enhancing the infectivity of entomopathogenic nematodes, which could be valuable for biocontrol applications in agriculture. Entomopathogenic nematodes act as good bio-control agents to manage lepidopteran and coleopteran pests. Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae are considered important families in entomopathogenic nematodes. An invitro experiment was conducted to enhance the efficacy of Steinernema glaseri using hot water and UV radiation on final instar larvae of Corcyra Cephalonica. The results showed that the highest number of larvae were infected at 35°C and 45°C of hot water immersion. Among the UV-exposed larvae, the highest number of larvae infected was obtained by UV exposure for 10 minutes. It is hypothesized that changes in the external layer of cuticle allowed entomopathogenic nematodes to penetrate, resulting in increased S. glaseri infectivity in the current study.