Life history of Bursaphelenchus conicaudatus (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) in relation to the yellow-spotted longicorn beetle, Psacothea hilaris (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Abstract

AbstractThe life history of the nematode Bursaphelenchus conicaudatus and its phoretic relationship to the yellow-spotted longicorn beetle, Psacothea hilaris, were studied, and are discussed by comparison with those of the pinewood nematode B. xylophilus, the pathogen of the pine wilt disease, and its vectors Monochamus species. The life history of B. conicaudatus was found to be very similar to that of B. xylophilus in dispersal pattern, vector selection and feeding preference, although the average number of B. conicaudatus carried by the yellow-spotted longicorn beetle, the proportion of beetles infested with the nematodes, and the nematode release pattern differed from those of B. xylophilus. These findings indicate a close relationship between the two species of Bursaphelenchus and the cerambycid beetles, as well as the adaptability of these two nematode species to the life cycles of their vectors.