scholarly journals Natural variation in host-finding behaviour of gastropod parasitic nematodes (Phasmarhabditis spp.) exposed to host-associated cues

2021 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Cutler ◽  
R. Rae
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Hyaluronic Acid ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Parasitic Nematode ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Host Finding ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Deroceras Invadens ◽  
Host Cues

Abstract The gastropod parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita has been formulated into a successful biological control agent (Nemaslug®, strain DMG0001) used to kill slugs on farms and gardens. When applied to soil, P. hermaphrodita uses slug mucus and faeces to find potential hosts. However, there is little information on what cues other species of Phasmarhabditis (P. neopapillosa and P. californica) use to find hosts and whether there is natural variation in their ability to chemotax to host cues. Therefore, using chemotaxis assays, we exposed nine wild isolates of P. hermaphrodita, five isolates of P. neopapillosa and three isolates of P. californica to mucus from the pestiferous slug host Deroceras invadens, as well as 1% and 5% hyaluronic acid – a component of slug mucus that is highly attractive to these nematodes. We found P. hermaphrodita (DMG0010) and P. californica (DMG0018) responded significantly more to D. invadens mucus and 1% hyaluronic acid than other strains. Also, P. hermaphrodita (DMG0007), P. neopapillosa (DMG0015) and P. californica (DMG0017) were superior at locating 5% hyaluronic acid compared to other isolates of the same genera. Ultimately, there is natural variation in chemoattraction in Phasmarhabditis nematodes, with some strains responding significantly better to host cues than others.

scholarly journals Natural variation in chemoattraction in the gastropod parasitic nematodes Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, P. neopapillosa and P. californica exposed to slug mucus

Nematology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 479-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Andrus ◽  
Robbie Rae
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Natural Isolates ◽  
Volatile Cues ◽  
Phasmarhabditis Hermaphrodita

Summary Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita is a lethal parasite of several slug species and has been formulated into a biological control agent for farmers and gardeners. Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita responds to slug faeces, mucus and volatile cues to find hosts in soil. However, these results have only focused on one strain of P. hermaphrodita (DMG0001). We exposed four strains of P. hermaphrodita (and DMG0001), three strains of P. neopapillosa and two strains of P. californica to mucus from seven common slug species. Furthermore, we investigated whether there was a relationship between chemoattraction and the numbers of offspring that were produced on each host species. Natural isolates of P. hermaphrodita differed in their preference of slug species whereas P. neopapillosa tended to prefer Arion sp. and strains of P. californica displayed striking differences in their responses. The reasons for positive chemoattraction to mucus were not due to higher numbers of offspring produced on these hosts.

Is Phasmarhabditis papillosa (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) a possible biological control agent against the Spanish slug, Arion vulgaris (Gastropoda: Arionidae)?

Nematology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Žiga Laznik ◽  
Ivana Majić ◽  
Stanislav Trdan ◽  
Antoinette P. Malan ◽  
Annika Pieterse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
First Record ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Arion Vulgaris ◽  
Potential Use

Summary In the period from August to October 2018, 140 specimens of the Spanish slug, Arion vulgaris, were collected from Podbrezje, Slovenia. Slugs were dissected and examined for the presence of parasitic nematodes within the cadavers. Identification of the nematodes was conducted using morphological and molecular techniques and confirmed the presence of Phasmarhabditis papillosa. This is the first record of P. papillosa from the mollusc host, A. vulgaris. Laboratory experiments aimed at testing the efficacy of P. papillosa against A. vulgaris were conducted using nematodes grown in vivo. Nematodes were applied at concentration rates of 50, 100 and 200 nematodes slug−1, respectively. Three weeks following treatment, the mortality of slugs was confirmed in all treatments (50 nematodes slug−1, 37.4 ± 2.7%; 100 nematodes slug−1, 48.4 ± 2.7%; 200 nematodes slug−1, 50.6 ± 2.7%). However, the pathogenesis of P. papillosa was observed first in the treatments with the lowest nematode dose at 4 days after treatments, while a decrease in the feeding behaviour of slugs was noted first in the treatments with the highest nematode dose. Future opportunities for the potential use of P. papillosa as a biological control agent against slugs are discussed. This is the first report of P. papillosa from Slovenia, and of its virulence against A. vulgaris.

Ecological considerations for the use of the nematophagous fungus, Verticillium chlamydosporium, to control plant parasitic nematodes

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (S1) ◽  
pp. 65-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. Kerry
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Plant ◽  
Nematode Species ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Nematophagous Fungus ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Root Knot Nematodes ◽  
Verticillium Chlamydosporium

The nematophagous fungus, Verticillium chlamydosporium, has considerable potential as a biological control agent for root-knot nematodes on a range of crops. The fungus is a general facultative parasite that attacks the eggs of several nematode species. The biology of the fungus is reviewed and the need for a detailed understanding of its ecology for its rational use as a biological control agent is highlighted. Isolates of the fungus must colonize the rhizosphere to be effective control agents. Plants differ in their ability to support the fungus and greatest control is achieved on those cultivars that support abundant growth of the fungus but produce only limited galling in response to nematode attack. On such plants, most eggs produced by nematodes are exposed to parasitism by this nematophagous fungus in the rhizosphere. Key words: biological control, nematophagous fungi, root-knot nematodes, Verticillium chlamydosporium.

scholarly journals My favourite nematode – Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita

Nematology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Robbie Rae
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Parasitic Nematode ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Genetic Evolution ◽  
The Future ◽  
Terrestrial Gastropod ◽  
Phasmarhabditis Hermaphrodita

Summary The terrestrial gastropod parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita is the only nematode that evolved to infect and kill slugs and snails. Because of this ability it has been formulated into a biological control agent for gardeners. In this Forum article, the author outlines several reasons why P. hemaphrodita is a nematode that is worth studying, including its ability to control the behaviour and kill slug hosts. The author discusses how P. hemaphrodita is being developed as a model nematode to be used to study the genetic evolution of parasitism, as well as potential research ideas for the future.

Simplicillium chinense: a biological control agent against plant parasitic nematodes

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 980-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Di Zhao ◽  
Bin Liu ◽  
Ling Yu Li ◽  
Xiao Feng Zhu ◽  
Yuan Yuan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Plant Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Plant Parasitic

scholarly journals Gastropod parasitic nematodes (Phasmarhabditis sp.) are attracted to hyaluronic acid in snail mucus by cGMP signalling

2018 ◽  
Vol 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Andrus ◽  
O. Ingle ◽  
T. Coleman ◽  
R. Rae
Keyword(s):  
Hyaluronic Acid ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Guanosine Monophosphate ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Commercial Strain ◽  
Cornu Aspersum ◽  
The Uk

AbstractPhasmarhabditis hermaphrodita is a parasitic nematode of terrestrial gastropods that has been formulated into a biological control agent for farmers and gardeners to kill slugs and snails. In order to locate slugs it is attracted to mucus, faeces and volatile cues; however, there is no information about whether these nematodes are attracted to snail cues. It is also unknown how wild isolates of P. hermaphrodita or different Phasmarhabditis species behave when exposed to gastropod cues. Therefore, we investigated whether P. hermaphrodita (commercial and wild isolated strains), P. neopapillosa and P. californica were attracted to mucus from several common snail species (Cepaea nemoralis, Cepaea hortensis, Arianta arbustorum and Cornu aspersum). We also examined whether snails (C. aspersum) collected from different locations around the UK differed in their attractiveness to wild isolates of P. hermaphrodita. Furthermore, we also investigated what properties of snail mucus the nematodes were attracted to, including hyaluronic acid and metal salts (FeSO4, ZnSO4, CuSO4 and MgSO4). We found that the commercial strain of P. hermaphrodita responded poorly to snail mucus compared to wild isolated strains, and C. aspersum collected from different parts of the UK differed in their attractiveness to the nematodes. We found that Phasmarhabditis nematodes were weakly attracted to all metals tested but were strongly attracted to hyaluronic acid. In a final experiment we also showed that pharmacological manipulation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) increased chemoattraction to snail mucus, suggesting that the protein kinase EGL-4 may be responsible for Phasmarhabditis sp. chemoattraction.

scholarly journals Possible application of a nematophagous fungus as a biological control agent of parasitic nematodes on commercial sheep farms in South Africa

2002 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Faedo ◽  
R.C. Krecek
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Nematophagous Fungus ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Parasite Control ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Clinical Assay

Biological control of parasitic nematodes of livestock is currently under development and represents another tool that may be integrated into helminth parasite control strategies. This paper presents a brief introduction to commercial sheep farming in South Africa and currently available nematode parasite control methods. These include the FAMACHA(r) clinical assay, strategies of pasture management, dilution of resistant worm species by introduction of susceptible worms, breed resistant sheep and nutritional supplementation. The purpose of this paper is to outline the principles of biological control using nematophagous fungi and how it may be applied on sheep farms in South Africa.

Interactions between host plants, the subterranean burrower bug, Cyrtomenus bergi, and the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis megidis

Nematology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 633-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lemma Ebssa ◽  
Christian Borgemeister ◽  
Hans-Michael Poehling ◽  
Ralf-Udo Ehlers ◽  
Elisabeth Struck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Zea Mays L ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Feeding Strategy ◽  
Entomopathogenic Nematode ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Host Finding ◽  
Maize Seedling ◽  
Heterorhabditis Megidis

AbstractInteractions between seedlings of Zea mays L. as a host plant, the subterranean burrower bug, Cyrtomenus bergi Froeschner, as a pest, and Heterorhabditis megidis Poinar, an entomopathogenic nematode, as a biological control agent, were studied, with a particular emphasis on the host finding behaviour of the nematode. For the trials a sand-filled Y-tube olfactometer was used. In the Y-arms, a bug, a maize seedling, a combination of both, or sand only was offered. Six experiments were carried out with differently treated Y-arms. Nematodes were significantly attracted to maize as well as to the combination of maize and bug, but not to C. bergi alone or to sand only. The influence of the feeding strategy of C. bergi on the host finding behaviour of H. megidis is discussed.

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