NEMATODES ARE SMALL ROUND WORMS. ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODES (EPNS) ALSO CALLED "BENEFICIAL NEMATODES" ARE POTENT NATURAL BIO-PESTICIDES (ALSO CALLED BIOCONTROL AGENTS). THESE SMALL ROUND WORMS KILL INSECT PESTS BUT DO NOT HARM HUMANS, OTHER NONTARGET ORGANISMS OR THE ENVIRONMENT. THEREFORE, USE OF EPNS CAN BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF A SUSTAINABLE INSECT PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGY. HOWEVER, FIELD EFFICACY WHEN USING EPNS IS VARIABLE AND OFTEN DOES NOT LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO ELUCIDATE THE BASES FOR VARIATIONS IN EFFICACY. SIMPLY PUT, EFFICACY RELIES ON SUCCESSFUL NEMATODE FORAGING (HOST-FINDING) AND INFECTION. WE WILL EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS THAT DRIVE NEMATODE FORAGING AND INFECTION DYNAMICS. IN OUR INITIAL RESEARCH, WE DISCOVERED THAT EPN DISPERSAL AND INFECTION DECISIONS ARE TIED TO GROUP BEHAVIOR. INTERESTINGLY, THE NEMATODES MOVE THROUGH THE SOIL TOGETHER, LIKE A PACK OF WOLVES, SEEKING INSECTS (WHICH ARE MUCH LARGER THAN THE NEMATODES) TO ATTACK AND INFECT. FURTHERMORE, WE DISCOVERED THAT THESE BEHAVIORS CAN RELY ON CHEMICAL SIGNALING, E.G., ASCAROSIDE (PHEROMONE) REGULATION OF DISPERSAL. IN THE PROPOSED PROJECT, WE WILL EXPAND UPON OUR INITIAL RESEARCH AND USE THE KNOWLEDGE TO ENHANCE PEST CONTROL EFFICACY. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES INCLUDE 1) ELUCIDATE BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS THAT DEFINE EPN DISPERSAL AND CHEMICAL SIGNALS THAT DRIVE THE BEHAVIOR, 2) ELUCIDATE BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS THAT DEFINE EPN INFECTION DYNAMICS AND CHEMICAL SIGNALS THAT DRIVE THE BEHAVIOR, 3) LEVERAGE KNOWLEDGE ON BEHAVIORAL AND CHEMICAL ECOLOGY TO ENHANCE BIOLOGICAL PEST SUPPRESSION USING EPNS. THE PROJECT WILL RESULT IN INCREASED FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE ON EPN FORAGING AND INFECTION DYNAMICS AND ASSOCIATED CHEMICAL SIGNALING, WHICH WILL GREATLY ADVANCE THE FIELD OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATOLOGY AND WILL ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT BROADER FIELDS SUCH AS BEHAVIORAL AND CHEMICAL ECOLOGY, AND PARASITOLOGY. ADDITIONALLY THE PROJECT WILL LEAD TO IMPROVED BIOCONTROL TACTICS.