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1 March 2013 Propagation of Caenorhabditis japonica in the Nest of Its Carrier Insect, Parastrachia japonensis
Etsuko Okumura, Yuji Ishikawa, Ryusei Tanaka, Toyoshi Yoshiga
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Abstract

We demonstrated the disembarkation of the bacterial-feeding nematode Caenorhabditis japonica dauer larvae (DL) from adult Parastrachia japonensis female insects and observed the propagation of nematodes in artificial insect nests. Our results clarify the process of propagation in this nematode species and provide insights into the nematode-insect relationship. Quiescent C. japonica DL resumed their mobility only at > 99.9% relative humidity (RH) at 25°C in the presence or absence of the carrier insect. In artificial nests with > 99.9% RH, DL resumed their mobility and the number of DL on female insects decreased gradually after oviposition, although numerous DL remained on the insects. Very few DL were detected on mother insects after hatching. Nematode propagation was observed on the egg mass after hatching and on nymphal carcasses; the total number of nematodes in the nest increased dramatically after this point. These results indicate that humidity is an important factor for disembarkation of C. japonica DL and that C. japonica propagates in the nest of P. japonensis where it feeds on the remains of eggs and nymph carcasses, indicating that C. japonica and P. japonensis have a unique phoretic and necromenic association.

© 2013 Zoological Society of Japan
Etsuko Okumura, Yuji Ishikawa, Ryusei Tanaka, and Toyoshi Yoshiga "Propagation of Caenorhabditis japonica in the Nest of Its Carrier Insect, Parastrachia japonensis," Zoological Science 30(3), 174-177, (1 March 2013). https://doi.org/10.2108/zsj.30.174
Received: 9 June 2012; Accepted: 8 October 2012; Published: 1 March 2013
KEYWORDS
commensalism
entomophilic nematode
mutualism
necromeny
phoresy
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