Reporte of native isolate pathogenicity of Steinernema feltiae on tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta

Entomopathogenic nematodes are obligatory parasites of insects, which are used in many integrated pest management programs. Two genera Steinernema and Heterorhabditis belong to the order Rhabditida include the most important species of  entomopathogenic nematodes. The effect of a native  isolate of Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev, 1934)on different larval instars of tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta were investigated. The isolate of S. feltiae were collected from the soil of alfaalfa farm located in Firoozkouh city by using Galleria bait method. Obtained nematodes from Galleria baits, were reared on the last larval instars of G. mellonella to provide sufficient population of the studied entomopathogenic nematode. The infected tomato plants by T. absoluta were collected from the infected greenhouses of Varamin, and different larval instars of the mentioned pest were isolated. 10 different larval instars of tomato leafminer were placed individually in each petri dishe by five replicates were considerd for theme. The larvae in each petri dish were infected with 1000, 3^rd instar larvae of the entomopathogenic nematode and kept up to 96 hours at laboratory temperature. In addition a check treatment was considered without entomopathogenic nematodes. Examining treated larvae by the evaluated nematode, that the S. feltiae was succeed to infect all the pest larvae cleared within 48 hours and causing their mortality. Infected larvae were inactive accumulation of the nematodes on the larval body, became visible after 72 hours. Third infectious larvae, and gradually the second generation of male and female nematodes appeared after 96 hours. This is the first report about the parasitism of the tomato leafminer by S. feltiae.