A Method for Measuring the Concentration of Co ₂ Released By Entomopathogenic Nematodes

This study aimed to standardize a method for measuring the concentration of CO ₂ released by infective juveniles (IJ's), in order to assess their metabolic activity. The nematodes used in this experiment were Heterorhabditis amazonensis JPM4 and Steinernema carpocapsae All. A standardized gas chromatography (GC) method was used for CO 2 analysis. There was a linear increase in CO 2 concentration associated with increased numbers of IJs. Additionally, the CO 2 concentration obtained for S. carpocapsae was higher than that obtained for H. amazonensis . The standardized GC method was adequate to measure the concentration of CO 2 released by IJ's.