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Rhabditis (Rhabditella) axei is a free-living, pseudoparasitic, necromenic, and parasitic nematode, depending on the host. This species feeds mainly on bacteria present in decaying organic matter, soil, and other substrates; however, in its parasitic form, it can colonize some species of snails. Moreover, the presence of R. axei has also been detected in birds and mammals, including humans.

The olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae is one of the most serious and economically damaging insects worldwide, affecting the quality and quantity of both olive oil and table olives. Laboratory bioassays were conducted for the first time to evaluate the susceptibility of B. oleae pupae to two entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) species, Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. The nematodes tested caused pupal mortality of 62.5% and 40.6%, respectively. The most noteworthy result was obtained with S. carpocapsae which was able to infect 21.9% of the emerged adults. Since this tephritid fly spent several months in the soil as pupa, the use of EPNs could be a promising method to control this pest.