Insect pathogens and entomoparasitic nematodes

Insect pathology, fungi, bacteria, virus, nematode, microbial control

Ehlers R.-U.

Huber J.

The group was founded in 1985, in response to a need for a forum for scientists in the field of insect pathology in Europe. It has about 100-120 active members. The activities of the group are organised within 5 subgroups:

• SG Fungi. Convenor: Tkaczuk C.
• SG Entomoparasitic nematodes. Convenor: Glazer I.
• SG Viruses. Convenor: Lopez-Ferber M.
• SG Soil insect pests (formerly: Subgroup Melolontha). Convenor: Enkerli J.
• SG Slugs and snails. Convenor: Symondson W.
  
  

The goal of the group is to offer a forum for exchange of information and to stimulate contacts and cooperation between scientists in the field of insect pathology.

Every second year, a 4-day meeting is organised, generally around a specific topic. The meetings are a mixture between conference and a roundtable discussion, the balance being kept by splitting the group, at least for part of the meeting, into sections fungi, bacteria and viruses, and insect-parasitic nematodes, and by putting additional focus on posters. The group meets also with the sister working group on insect pathogens of IOBC/EPRS. Many insect pathologists participate in other working groups of IOBC /WPRS.

The group has allowed an exchange of information in the field of microbial control of insect pests, has stimulated collaborative research between members of the group and provided information to other more crop and pest oriented IOBC/WPRS working groups on the possibilities of using microbial control in their field of interest. Since 1992, workshops on identification/diagnosis of entomoparasitic nematodes and insect pathogens have been organised within meetings. Contacts between scientists and commercial companies have stimulated development of microbial control agents. Contacts and cooperation between researchers on insect pathogens and insect parasitic nematodes between Eastern and Western Europe have been strengthened.

The results of the working group's activities are published in bulletins:

IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 21 (4) 1998, 289 pp.
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 23 (2) 2000, 334 pp., table of contents (PDF, 16 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 26 (1), 2003, 278 pp., table of contents (PDF, 85 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 28 (3), 2005, 214 pp., table of contents (PDF, 49 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 30 (1), 2006, 224 pp., table of contents and abstracts (PDF, 297 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 31, 2008, 348 pp., table of contents (PDF, 153 KB)

The results of the sub-group's activities are also published in bulletins:

IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 23 (8) [Melolontha], 2000, 137 pp, table of contents (PDF, 7 KB).
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 25 (7) [Melolontha], 2002, 125 pp., table of contents (PDF, 13 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 26 (1), 2003, 278 pp., table of contents (PDF, 85 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 28 (2) [Melolontha], 2005, 192 pp., table of contents (PDF, 28 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 28 (3), 2005, 214 pp., table of contents (PDF, 49 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 28 (6) [Slugs and Snails], 2005, 134 pp., table of contents (PDF, 65 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 30 (7), 2006, 154 pp., table of contents and abstracts (PDF, 298 KB)

Ehlers R.-U.