Influence ofSteinernema feltiae(Filipjev) Wouts, Mracek, Gerdin and Bedding DD136 strain on the humoral and haemocytic responses ofGalleria mellonella(L.) larvae to selected bacteria

Abstract

Examination of the short-term interaction of the haemocytes and lysozyme ofGalleria mellonellalarvae with the entomogenous nematodeSteinernema feltiaeDD136,in vitrorevealed that the nematodes did not reduce the adhesion ofBacillus subtilisorXenorhabdus nematophilussubsp.nematophilusto larval granulocytes or plasmatocytes. There was no evidence of humoral, sheath or cellular encapsulation ofS. feltiaein the haemolymphin vitroorin vivo. Compared with the phosphate-buffered saline-injected larvae the axenic nematodes did not alter the total or differential haemocyte counts during the initial 4 h of parasitism. The ability of the insect larvae to removeB. subtilisandX. nematophilusfrom the haemolymph was not influenced by axenicS. feltiae. The bacteria from the intestine of surface disinfected, monoxenically culturedS. feltiaeelevated the larval total haemocyte counts and damaged the haemocytes. The activity of larval lysozyme was not influenced by axenicS. feltiae.