Abstract

Fungus gnats (FG) have been reported in Venezuelan greenhouses recently. Bradysia difformis Frey (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) was found attacking Daisy gerbera plants [Gerbera sp. L. (Asterales: Asteraceae)] and many other crops in the country causing serious damages. Heterorhabditis amazonensis Andal et al. (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae), was used to assess the mortality of larvae and adults of FG, number of invader nematodes per larvae and to compare the mortality of FG using nematodes and/or ciromazine under laboratory conditions. In a commercial flower farm, different doses of these nematodes were applied for eight weeks to control FG. The results showed 95% of mortality of the B. difformis larvae under laboratory conditions and performed better in the field when 50,000 nematodes were applied in every pot as a base dose to initiate a control programme. According to our results, H. amazonensis has the potential to become a regular organism for controlling fungus gnat larvae in tropical greenhouses.