Intraguild Predation and Biosafety of Entomopathogenic Nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar et Al., and its Bacterial Symbiont, Photorhabdus luminescens, to Parasitoid, Trichogramma chilonis Ishii and Predator Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi (Esben, Petersen)

Abstract

Intraguild predation (IGP) appears to be pervasive among communities of biocontrol agents associated with nematode sharing the host with trophic interaction. Entomopathogenic nematode (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) and its associated bacterium (Photorhabdus luminescens); an egg parasitiod, Trichogramma chilonis and a predator Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi were selected for present study. There was no adverse effect of H. bacteriophora and P. luminescens observed on adult emergence of T. chilonis. Microscopic examination of eggs, larvae and adults of T. chilonis and C. z. sillemi treated with H. bacteriophora, P. luminescens and cell-free culture filtrates of P. luminescens, exhibited no deformity, discoloration or infection of organisms. Similarly, H. bacteriophora, P. luminescens or the cell-free culture filtrates exhibited no adverse activity on egg hatching or larvae of C. z. sillemi indicating that there was no intraguild competition under artificial epiphytotic conditions between the organisms under report, viz., H. bacteriophora, its associated bacterium (P. luminescens), T. chilonis and C. z. sillemi.