Efficacy of Native Entomopathogenic Nematodes in the Biological Control of Leucoma wiltshirei (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in oak forests of Iran

Key Points

• The biological control method significantly reduced leucoma wiltshirei populations in oak forests.
• The presence of entomopathogenic nematodes led to over 80% mortality in treated larval pests within two weeks.
• Analysis of populations across multiple oak forests in Iran showed consistent results across different sites.
• This method may enable more eco-friendly pest management strategies in forestry; further testing in various environments is needed.