Abstract
A total of 30 different agricultural fields in the Golden Triangle Region of Montana, USA were surveyed, and 150 soil samples were evaluated for the presence of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs). The authors isolated EPNs from 10% of the collected samples. The recovered isolates were identified as Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora by using morphological and molecular analysis. Steinernema feltiae was found from two fields, Kalispell (S. feltiae 1) and Choteau (S. feltiae 2). Steinernema feltiae (1 and 2) differed significantly from each other in terms of morphological characters for infective juveniles (distance from anterior end to excretory pore and nerve ring) and 1st generation males (body length, spicule length, gubernaculum length, oesophagus, tail, and anal body diameter). Steinernema feltiae 2 and H. bacteriophora were recovered from the same field in Choteau. All these species were recovered from wheat fields with sandy clay loam and loam soils with 3.3 to 3.4% organic matter content and pH 8.
Highlights
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), which occur naturally in soils, are obligate parasites of soilinhabiting insects
Heterorhabditis bacteriphora was 100% conspecific to a number of H. bacteriophora isolates in NCBI (MK072810.1, MK421482.1, MG551676.1, KT378450.1, KT378448). The purpose of this survey was to see if EPNs were present in the Golden Triangle area of Montana, and if so, to explore the patterns of their diversity and distribution
The nematodes present in some soil samples caused G. mellonella mortality but were unable to reproduce further. These nematodes might be other rhabditids or opportunistic bacterivore nematodes that feed on saprobic bacteria in the cadaver but cannot reproduce in the cadaver
Summary
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), which occur naturally in soils, are obligate parasites of soilinhabiting insects. There are reports of new EPN species being found and described from different parts of the world (Stock et al, 2019; Lephoto and Gray, 2019; Půža et al, 2020; Katumanyane et al, 2020). Indigenous EPNs are more suitable for inundative application against insect pests because of their better adaptation to local environmental conditions, allowing for more persistence and greater biological control efficacy. Such native nematodes can be developed as new biological control agents against important insect pests (Burnell and Stock, 2000; Grewal et al, 2002; Lewis et al, 2006).
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