Parasitism of the sunn pest, eurygaster integriceps puton (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) with hexamermis eurygasteri tarla, poinar and tarla (Nematoda: Mermithidae)
The present study evaluates the infection rates of the nematode species, Hexamermis eurygasteri Tarla, Poinar and Tarla (Nematoda: Mermithidae) on the overwintering generation population densities of the Sunn pest (SP), Eurygaster integriceps Puton under natural conditions in 2008 and 2009. Parasitism rates were 13.8 and 16.0% for females and 7.5 and 7.1% for males in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Parasitized SP contained an average of 4.7.±0.79 nematodes. In a sample of 26 parasitized SP, 15.4% contained single worm, 34.6% contained three worms and 30.8% contained five or more worms. The mean body length of juvenile obtained from SP measured 9.0 ± 0.65 cm. H. eurygasteri is an important natural mortality factor of SP in overwintering areas at Gaziantep Province, Turkey. Obtained results showed that this parasitic nematode has the potential as biological control agent for SP management
