Two Beneficail entomopathogenic Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae nematodes for Codling Moth Control
The codling moth, Cydia pomonella is one of the most damaging pets of apples, pears and walnts. Adult moths are gray in color with dark brown band at the tip of wings. Larvae are white in color with dark brown head. Only larvae of codling moth cause damage to fruits and adults do not cause any damage to either apple or pear fruits or trees.
Codling moth overwinters (diapause) as mature larva inside the silken cocoon in the soil and plant debris around the tree base. Early in the spring this overwintering larva then forms pupa inside the silken cocoons and then emerge as adult in March through April. Adults then mate and then each female lay over 25 eggs on the fruits. The eggs hatch within a week and the hatched larva then enter into small fruits and start feeding on the tissue until they become mature. The mature larva then leaves the fruit, drop of off the tree, then moves near the base of tree for pupation and life cycle continues.
These mature larvae that fall on the ground can be easily targeted with beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes. Two entomopathogenic nematodes including Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae have been used as biological control agents and proved to be effective in infecting and killing the codling moth larvae the hide inside the silken cocoon. When applied in September, both Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae nematodes have caused over 90% mortality of codling moth larvae (Lacy et al., 2006). However, when applied in the October, cold adapted Steinernema feltiae caused higher mortality (over 90%) of codling moth larval mortality than the warm adapted Steinernema carpocapsae that caused only 58% mortality of larvae of codling moths (Lacy et al., 2006).
For the effective control of codling moth, both Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae nematodes can be applied at the rate of 2300 infective juveniles per square foot area.
Read following papers on interaction between beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes and codling moth.
Cossentine, J.E., Jensen, L.B. and Moyls, L. 2002. Fruit bins washed with Steinernema carpocapsae (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) to control Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Biocontrol Science and Technology 12: 251-258.
de Waal, J.Y., Malan, A.P. and Addison, M.F. 2011. Evaluating mulches together with Heterorhabditis zealandica (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae) for the control of diapausing codling moth larvae, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Biocontrol Science and Technology 21: 255-270.
de Waal, J.Y., Malan, A.P., Levings, J. and Addison, M.F. 2010. Key elements in the successful control of diapausing codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in wooden fruit bins with a South African isolate of Heterorhabditis zealandica (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae). Biocontrol Science and Technology. 20: 489-502.
Lacey, L.A. and Chauvin, R.L. 1999. Entomopathogenic nematodes for control of diapausing codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in fruit bins. Journal of Economic Entomology 92: 104-109.
Lacey, L.A., and Unruh, T.R. 1998. Entomopathogenic nematodes for control of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): Effect of nematode species, concentration, temperature, and humidity. Biological Control 13: 190-197.
Lacey, L.A., Arthurs, S.P., Unruh, T.R., Headrick, H. and Fritts, R. 2006. Entomopathogenic nematodes for control of codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in apple and pear orchards: Effect of nematode species and seasonal temperatures, adjuvants, application equipment, and post-application irrigation. Biological Control 37: 214-223.
Lacey, L.A., Granatstein, D., Arthurs, S.P., Headrick, H. and Fritts, R. 2006. Use of entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernematidae) in conjunction with mulches for control of overwintering codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Journal of Entomological Science 41: 107-119.
Lacey, L.A., Neven, L.G., Headrick, H.L. and Fritts, R. 2005. Factors affecting entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinerneniatidae) for control of overwintering codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in fruit bins. Journal of Economic Entomology 98: 1863-1869.
Lacey, L.A., Shapiro-Ilan, D.I. and Glenn, G.M. 2010. Post-application of anti-desiccant agents improves efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes in formulated host cadavers or aqueous suspension against diapausing codling moth larvae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Biocontrol Science and Technology. 20: 909-921.
Mracek, Z., Becvar, S., Kindlmann, P. and Webster, J.M. 1998. Infectivity and specificity of Canadian and Czech isolates of Steinernema kraussei (Steiner, 1923) to some insect pests at low temperatures in the laboratory. Nematologica 44: 437-448.
Navaneethan, T., Strauch, O., Besse, S., Bonhomme, A. and Ehlers, R.U. 2010. Influence of humidity and a surfactant-polymer-formulation on the control potential of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema feltiae against diapausing codling moth larvae (Cydia pomonella L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Biocontrol 55: 777-788.
Unruh, T.R., and Lacey, L.A. 2001. Control of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), with Steinernema carpocapsae: Effects of supplemental wetting and pupation site on infection rate. Biological Control 20: 48-56.
Vega, F.E., Lacey, L.A., Reid, A.P., Herard, F., Pilarska, D., Danova, E., Tomov, R. and Kaya, H.K. 2000. Infectivity of a Bulgarian and an American strain of Steinernema carpocapsaeagainst codling moth. Biocontrol 45: 337-343.