Asilidae (Diptera: Brachycera) – natural hosts of Steinernema feltiae (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) at the Zemen Gorge region

Invaded with entomopathogenic nematode S. feltiae (Filipjev, 1934) larva from family Asilidae was found in an alluvial soil of riverside forest in the region of Zemen Gorge, SW Bulgaria. It is the first record of Asilidae as natural hosts of S. feltiae. It seems that insects from the family Asilidae are generally among the suitable hosts of the genus Steinernema Travassos, 1927. Members of Asilidae are important predators in the soil, and their susceptibility to nematode invasion must be considered when assessing the impact of entomopathogenic nematodes on beneficial soil insects.