Walnuts produced in the Juglans region is among Iran s strategic products and the Leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina L. (Lep.: Cossidae) is the key pest of this tree. Difficulty in chemical application against this caterpillar and special habitats of its larvae encouraged us to address efficiency of some entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) against different larval stages. Native isolates of EPNs were isolated from soil habitats of this pest in Arak, Markazi province, Iran. Using ITS and D2/D3 expansions of 28S sequences they were identified as Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Steinernema feltiae and S. carpocapsae. In laboratory assays,the susceptibility of second, third and fourth larval stages to commercial products of S. carpocapsae and H. bacteriophora, and native strain of H. bacteriophora were studied. For field application, both strains were used via injection of nematode suspensions into the galleries bored in tree stems or branches. This study showed that both tested nematodes at 2,000 IJs/larva proved to be effective on Z. pyrina. The results indicated the higher efficiency of S. carpocapsae as compared to H. bacteriophora on larvae of this moth.

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