| Abstract: | Two species of entomophilic nematodes, Heterorhabditis heliothidis (NZ strain) and Steinernema feltiae (Agriotos strain) were tested in the laboratory against immature and adult stages of a strain (G) of Musca domestica with multiple insecticide-resistance. Both species of nematodes killed larval stages of M. domestica on inoculated filter papers. S. feltiae was the most virulent parasite, and killed >90% of all larval stages at the two highest doses of 25 000 and 50 000 nematodes per 0·5 ml tap water. No puparia were parasitised by either species. There was no parasitism of the larval stages after exposure to chicken manure treated with nematodes. All adult flies were parasitised after they were exposed to bait-pads previously inoculated with S. feltiae, 93.3% were parasitised by H. heliothidis. |
