Permeability of the sheath and cuticle of the infective juveniles (IJs) of Steinernema carpocapsae to glycerol and its effect on biochemical adaptation of the IJs to osmotic dehydration were examined by incubating both sheathed and exsheathed IJs in glycerol-d5 solution then monitoring the changes in levels of deuterium labelled and non-labelled glycerol and trehalose. Energy metabolism of the IJs during osmotic dehydration and subsequent rehydration and the effect of the permeated glycerol on this process were investigated by examining and comparing the changes in mean dry weight and key biochemical composition of the IJs dehydrated in glycerol and sodium chloride solutions. The results show: (1) similarly to evaporative dehydration, osmotic dehydration induces IJs to synthesise the protectants glycerol and trehalose; (2) glycerol permeates the sheath and the cuticle into the body of IJs during dehydration in glycerol solution. Part of the permeated glycerol plays a role as protectant like that synthesised by IJs from their energy reserve materials while part is incorporated into trehalose; (3) the sheath reduces the rate of permeation of glycerol and therefore affects the equilibrium glycerol and trehalose levels of the IJs and also the time needed to reach the equilibrium levels; (4) the reduction in mean dry weight and lipids of the IJs during dehydration in glycerol solution is substantially less than those dehydrated in sodium chloride solution. Both the total protectant level and the ratio of glycerol to trehalose of the IJs dehydrated in glycerol solution are higher than those dehydrated in sodium chloride solution; (5) glycogen reserves of the IJs play a role as a buffer reservoir of the protectants during both dehydration and rehydration but the principal sources of the protectants during dehydration are more likely to be lipids and proteins rather than glycogen.