Slugs and snails are important pests in agriculture. Among the economically important pests are slugs from Arionidae family. Most common way to control slugs is the use of chemical pesticides based on iron (III) phosphate and metaldehyde, mechanically and also with the help of biological control, which includes use of slug parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita. Due to the status of an exotic organism, the use of P. hermaphrodita is prohibited in Slovenia. The discovery of the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis papillosa in Slovenia represents a great potential for use in biological control. Since little is known about this nematode, we studied the influence of temperature on their activity in control of slugs from Arionidae family. Laboratory investigation was performed where slugs were treated with P. papillosa nematode (concentration 500 IJs/slug) and exposed to different temperatures (12, 15, 18, 20, 24 °C). Based on the results, we confirmed that P. papillosa nematode was most effective at 20 °C, where slug mortality was the highest and feeding was the most reduced. We confirmed the potential use of the parasitic nematode P. papillosa in biological control programs.
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