,  , The size of infective Steinernema arenarium juveniles is variable and ranges from 724 to 1408 ㎛. Effects of harvest time and infective juvenile size on pathogenicity, development, and reproduction were examined in the last instar of the great wax moth, Galleria mellonella. Harvest time of infective juveniles (IJs) of S. arenarium affected pathogenicity. IJs harvested at the 10th day from trapping were more pathogenic than those harvested the 3rd day from trapping. Mortality of G. mellonella also depending on harvest time, i.e, 100% died within 48h when IJs were harvested at the 10th day, without relation to size. However, mortality was 40% in the small size group (SSG) compared with 18% in the large size group (LSG) within 48h when IJs were harvested at the 3rd day. Establishment of S. arenarium within the host was different depending on IJ size. The number of established IJs was 1.8 in the SSG, 3.3 in the LSG, and 3.2 in the mixed size group (MSG) when IJs were harvested at the 3rd day, and 5.3 in the SSG, 7.4 in the LSG, and 7.6 in the MSG when IJs were harvested at the 10th day. The length of the female adult was 7,070.5 ㎛ in the SSG and 7,893.9 ㎛ in the LSG and that of the male was 1,460.5 ㎛ in the SSG and 1,688.2 ㎛ in the LSG when IJs were harvested at the 3rd day. The length of the female adult was 7,573.6 ㎛ in the SSG and 8,305.4 ㎛ in the LSG and that of the male adult was 1,733.4 ㎛ in the SSG and 1,794.4 ㎛ in the LSG when IJs were harvested at the 10th day. Harvest time and size of IJs did not influence numbers of progeny or size of IJS.
Effect of inoculation level on pathogenicity, development, and propagation of entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema arenarium was investigated using the last instar of great wax moth, Galleria mellonella. Pathogenicity of S. arenarium was higher with increasing inoculation level representing 82% at the rate of 5 infective juveniles (IJs) while >98% at the rate of >10 IJs. The number of IJs penetrated into the host was 2.7, 5.0, 7.4, and 12.2 at the rate of 5, 10, 20, and 40 IJs, respectively while 24.3 at the rate of 80 IJs and 40.2 at the rate of 160 IJs. Inoculation level did not affect female adult size (4,616 to 6,444 ㎛) while affected male adult size (1,600 to 1,934 ㎛). The rate of stunted female adults was 70.2% at the inoculation level of 80 IJs and 63.7% at the inoculation level of 160 IJs. The number of progenies was 20,431, 26,696, 47,943, 50,516, 58,701, and 74,235 at the rate of 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 IJs, respectively. The body lengths of IJs were different depending on inoculation level ranging from 636 to 1,496 ㎛.