Susceptibility of adults of Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner, 1818 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema rarum (Doucet, 1986) Mamiya, 1988 (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) under laboratory conditions

Abstract

Soybean is attacked by a great diversity of pests that cause economically important damage from seed germination through to maturity (Aragón et al., 1997; Aragón, 2002). The velvetbean caterpillar Anticarsia gemmatalis, a foliage-feeding insect, attacks the upper part of the plant. The peak stage of pest infestation extends from flowering to the start of grain maturation (Aragón, 2002). One of the methods employed in the control of A. gemmatalis and other soybean pests is the use of insecticides (Aragón & Flores, 2006). Several of them are pyrethroid formulations (alfamethrine, cypermethrin, betacyfluthrin, deltamethrin, lambdacyalothrin) and they are recommended in very small doses (Gamundi & Perotti, 2008). Pyrethroids are applied during the early stages of crop development (Massaro, 2008).