Isolation, identification of entomopathogenic nematodes, and preliminary study of their virulence against the great wax moth, Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are a group of biological control agents that are characterized by their ability to search for hosts, safety to non-target insects and environment, and their ability to be used combined with agricultural chemicals. The objectives of this study were to isolate EPNs from agricultural soil in Egypt and study their virulence against the great wax moth,Galleria mellonellaL. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), for further use in biological control program. Two out of 20 soil samples collected from orchards cultivated with olives and mango were positive for the presence of EPNs, using theGalleriabaiting technique. The positive soil samples were sandy clay loam. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region indicated that the isolates obtained belong toHeterorhabditis indica. The ITS sequences were submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and registered under the accession nos. MH553167 andMK300683. The efficacy of the isolates was tested onG. mellonella, using different nematodes’ concentrations. Using 50 IJs/larvae fromH. indicaAborawash and ERSAG2 showed 100 and 86% mortality rate after 48 h, respectively. The penetration rate reported in deadG. mellonellawas 40% atH. indicaAborawash, while it was 35% in case of ERSAG2.