Development and pathogenicity of infective juveniles originating via endotokia matricida in axenic steinernematid nematodes

Abstract

Development and insecticidal activity of axenic infective juveniles (IJs) originating from endotokia matricida in maternal bodies ofSteinernema glaseri and S. carpocapsae were investigated with a comparison to IJs developed in monoxenic culture. In comparison withthe monoxenic steinernematids, the axenic ones grew slower and produced fewer IJs when they were cultured in a sterile chicken liverextract medium supplement with an autoclaved nematode-infected Galleria mellonella larva. The phenomena of endotokia matricida,an intra-uterine development of hatched juvenile, occurred in an axenic culture as did the monoxenic ones. Although it occurred fasterin monoxenic culture, the ratio of females bearing endotokia matricida was more numerous in axenic ones. These axenic females alsoproduced IJs through the endotokia matricida phenomenon. Compared to the normal IJs develop in monoxenic culture, the IJs originatedvia endotokia matricida of axenic nematodes showed lower insecticidal activity and it could not reproduce in G. mellonella cadaver.

Keywords

• Aseptic culture
• Endotokia matricida
• Insect mortality
• Intra-uterine development
• Monoxenic culture
• Nematode invasion
• Steinernema carpocapsae
• Steinernema glaseri