Orientation of Heterorhabditis megidis to insect hosts and plant roots in a Y-tube sand olfactometer |
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Authors: | Mari I.C. Boff Frans C. Zoon Peter H. Smits |
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Affiliation: | (1) Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, The Netherlands;(2) Plant Research International – Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | The host-searching behaviour of Heterorhabditis megidis strain NLH-E 87.3 in the presence of insect hosts and plant roots, offered individually and in combination, was studied using a newly developed Y-tube olfactometer filled with sand. Within a period of 24 hours infective juveniles (IJs) were significantly attracted to living G. mellonella larvae and caused 100% larval mortality. Otiorhynchus sulcatus larvae, however, did not elicit host-oriented movement of IJs and no larval mortality was observed. Roots of strawberry plants induced a negative response in IJs. The combination of strawberry roots and O. sulcatus larvae, however, strongly attracted IJs leading to 37% host mortality. It was shown that this type of Y-tube choice arena is a useful tool in studying the searching behaviour of entomopathogenic nematodes in a semi-natural habitat. |
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Keywords: | Heterorhabditis megidis Otiorhynchus sulcatus Galleria mellonella host finding plant roots Y-tube olfactometer |
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