''Heterorhabditis bacteriophora'' is a species of

entomopathogenic nematode Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) are a group of nematodes (thread worms), that cause death to insects. The term ''entomopathogenic'' has a Greek origin, with ''entomon'', meaning ''insect'', and '' pathogenic'', which means ''causing disease''. T ...

known commonly as beneficial nematodes. They are microscopic and are used in gardening as a form of

biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...

. They are used to control

ants Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,00 ...

fleas Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, ar ...

moths Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

beetles Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

flies Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

weevil Weevils are beetles belonging to the Taxonomic rank, superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and Herbivore, herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They b ...

s, and other pests. These beneficial nematodes enter target insect larva via mouth, anus or respiratory openings and starts to feed. To reproduce the nematodes release ''

Photorhabdus ''Photorhabdus'' is a genus of bioluminescent, gram-negative bacilli which lives symbiotically within entomopathogenic nematodes, hence the name ''photo'' (which means light producing) and ''rhabdus'' (rod shape). ''Photorhabdus'' is known to be ...

'' bacteria from their

digestive tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans a ...

. The bacteria rapidly multiply in the target insect larva and kills it. The nematodes then use the larva cadaver to grow and reproduce.

Biological Systems Research

These nematodes are amenable to ''in vitro'' culture, making them of interest to evolutionary and molecular biologists who investigate parasitic and symbiotic systems. ''Heterorhabditis bacteriophora'' was selected by the

National Human Genome Research Institute The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is an institute of the National Institutes of Health, located in Bethesda, Maryland. NHGRI began as the Office of Human Genome Research in The Office of the Director in 1988. This Office transi ...

as a sequencing target. The inbred strain ''H. bacteriophora'' TTO1 was sequenced using Roche 454 technology, and a high-quality 77 Mb draft genome assembly was produced in 2013.

References

External links

* Rhabditida Biological control agents of pest insects Nematodes described in 1976 Taxa named by George Poinar Jr. {{Rhabditida-stub