Genetic adaptation and founder effect in laboratory populations of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema glaseri

Laboratory culture can have detrimental effects on populations through adverse environmental conditions such as poor nutrition or disease, or through genetic effects such as inbreeding depression, founder effect, genetic drift, or laboratory adaptation. We tested for laboratory effects on the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema glaseri (Steiner) by forming a genetically diverse base population from a series of field isolates and rearing several independent lines through 12 cycles of laboratory culture, using larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (L.), or the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, as hosts. Laboratory bioassays based on G. mellonella indicated that lines maintained with large breeding populations did not deteriorate but often showed significant increases in infectivity (15.3–48.0%), proportion of males (12.2–36.1%), and reproductive potential (39.0–160.4%). Lines reared on P. japonica larvae responded similarly to lines reared on G. mellonella but showed higher levels of reproductive potential. Two of three lines subjected to initial genetic bottlenecks to test for founder effects differed from other lines by showing very high infectivity but little change in sex ratio or reproductive potential. These results demonstrate that laboratory adaptation can produce dramatic changes in important biological attributes of these nematodes, but that a lack of genetic variation associated with founder effects can impede this process. Laboratory adaptation should be considered a potent factor when designing, interpreting, and comparing studies of this important group of biological control organisms.