Evaluation of the Reproductive Potential and Competition between Two Entomopathogenic Nematodes, Steinernema feltiae Filipjev, 1934 (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Poinar 1976 (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae)

The emergence in Galleria mellonella (L.) larva, which was infected by Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, began on the ninth day after exposure to the former nematode and the sixth day of exposure to the latter nematode (25 ± 0.5 ºC). The average number of nematodes developing in each host was as 13,829, and the range was from 4365 to 27,510 for S. feltiae infection. The average number of nematodes per host was 141,562, and the range was 50,905 - 271,593 for H. bacteriophora infection. When the 2 different species were inoculated simultaneously into the same host, H. bacteriophora caused higher mortality rates than S. feltiae. As a result of the application of 2 nematode species to the same host at different times, the first nematode species to be inoculated was responsible for the highest mortality rate in all cases.