Abstract: The relationship between morphological change and oxygen consumption of infective anhydrobotic juveniles of Steinernema carpocapsae (BJ strain) was studied in the laboratory. The results showed the nematodes treated in SB high osmotic solution presented different morphologies. The morphological changes included three stages: coil, sheath-cuticle separation and curved lateral lines. Metabolism of the coil nematodes went down and their oxygen consumption decreased by 14%. Oxygen consumption of the nematodes in sheath-cuticle separation stage decreased by 65% when they began to enter anhydrobiotic state. All of them revived in water for 10 minutes. Oxygen consumption of the nematodes showing curved lateral lines decreased by 79%, indicating they entered into futher anhydrobiotic state.These nematodes revived entirely after 30 minutes in water.

Key words: Steinernema carpocapsae, anhydrobiosis, morphological change, oxygen consumption