First record of Phasmarhabditis papillosa (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) in South Africa, and its virulence against the invasive slug, Deroceras panormitanum

Abstract

Worldwide interest in Phasmarhabditis originates from the successful commercialisation of P. hermaphrodita as a biological control agent against molluscs in Europe. To date, P. hermaphrodita has not been isolated from South Africa and, therefore, the formulated product may not be sold locally. During a survey for mollusc-associated nematodes, P. papillosa was dissected from the slug, Deroceras reticulatum, collected from George, South Africa. The nematode was identified using a combination of morphological, morphometric, molecular and phylogenetic techniques. Virulence tests were conducted which demonstrated that P. papillosa caused significant mortality to the European invasive slug Deroceras panormitanum. Additional data are provided in the morphometrics of the infective juvenile and in the molecular identification, using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene. This is the first report of P. papillosa from the African continent and of its virulence against D. panormitanum.