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Member Symposium

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Applied Use of Chemical Ecology in Integrated Pest Management

Chemical cues from entomopathogenic nematodes influence plant-insect interactions and enhance biological control

Sunday, November 9, 2025
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific
Location: Oregon Convention Center, D136, OCC
Oral Presentation
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are parasitic worms that kill their insect hosts with the aid of symbiotic bacteria. Biological control using EPNs is a promising strategy for managing soil-dwelling insect pests. There is growing evidence that EPNs can have multiple benefits for plant protection. In addition to EPNs directly killing pest insects, chemical cues from EPNs can enhance plant resistance and deter herbivores. Here we examined the influence of EPN cues on cucurbit plant defenses and determined how these defenses mediate resistance against insect herbivores, including melon aphids and cucumber beetles. We also assessed how chemical cues from EPNs affect the foraging behavior of root-feeding cucumber beetle larvae. Overall, our findings suggest that there are multifaceted benefits of using EPNs for biological control in cucurbit production.