In the fourth episode of the MicroBioPest Podcast, Ms. Georgina Pantidi (PhD candidate, University of Crete) and Dr. Martyn Wood (Postdoctoral Research Associate, IMBB-FORTH) explore three other groups of biological control agents: baculoviruses, entomopathogenic nematodes, and parasitoid wasps.

The discussion covers topics such as:

• How baculoviruses infect susceptible insects after being ingested and use the host’s cells to reproduce
• How entomopathogenic nematodes work together with symbiotic bacteria to kill their hosts
• How parasitoid wasps locate suitable hosts and use them for the development of their offspring
• Why timing, host specificity, behaviour, and environmental conditions are so important for successful biological control

The episode also looks at practical examples, including the use of baculoviruses against caterpillar pests, nematodes against soil-dwelling insects, and parasitoids such as Trichogramma and Encarsia formosa in crop protection.

View on our YouTube Channel or listen to it on Spotify.