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Steinernema is a genus of
Bacterial cells from the intestines are regurgitated into the insect. The insect hemolymph provides a rich medium for the bacterial cells which grow, releasing toxins and exoenzymes, causing the insect host to die from septicemia. The bacteria also produce other compounds to protect the insect from other microbes in the soil.
The nematode moves out of its developmentally arrested third, nonfeeding stage, triggered by either bacterial or insect food signals. The nematodes feed on the bacteria and moult to the fourth stage, reaching adulthood within a few days. with separate male and female individuals. Nematode development continues for two to three generations. When insufficient nutrient remain adult development is suppressed. Developmentally arrested third stage juveniles accumulate and emerge into the soil, where they may survive for months until a new suitable host is found.
nematode
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...
s in the family of Steinernematidae
The
Steinernematidae are a family of nematodes in the order Rhabditida.
Nematodes of the genus ''Steinernema'' are obligate insect parasites that inhabit soil. ''Xenorhabdus'' bacteria occupy nematode insecticide and synergistically kill, dig ...
. The genus ''Steinernema'' is named after the nematologist Gotthold Steiner Gotthold is a name of German origin. People with the name include:
People with the given name
*Gotthold Eisenstein (1823–1852), German mathematician
*Gotthold Gloger (1924–2001), German writer and painter
*Samuel Gotthold Lange (1711-1781), Ge ...
.
Life cycle
Species form symbiotic relationships with ''Xenorhabdus
''Xenorhabdus'' is a genus of motile, gram-negative bacteria from the family of the Morganellaceae. All the species of the genus are only known to live in symbiosis with soil entomopathogenic nematodes from the genus '' Steinernema''.
Although n ...
'' and '' Photorhabdus'' bacteria. The free-living third stage juvenile, termed a dauer juvenile, enters its insect hosts through natural openings, such as the mouth, anus, and spiracles.
Bacterial cells from the intestines are regurgitated into the insect. The insect hemolymph provides a rich medium for the bacterial cells which grow, releasing toxins and exoenzymes, causing the insect host to die from septicemia. The bacteria also produce other compounds to protect the insect from other microbes in the soil.
The nematode moves out of its developmentally arrested third, nonfeeding stage, triggered by either bacterial or insect food signals. The nematodes feed on the bacteria and moult to the fourth stage, reaching adulthood within a few days. with separate male and female individuals. Nematode development continues for two to three generations. When insufficient nutrient remain adult development is suppressed. Developmentally arrested third stage juveniles accumulate and emerge into the soil, where they may survive for months until a new suitable host is found.
Species
The following species have been described:Use in agriculture
Species of this genus can infect insects and are used as abiopesticide
A Biopesticide is a biological substance or organism that damages, kills, or repels organisms seens as pests. Biological pest management intervention involves predatory, parasitic, or chemical relationships.
They are obtained from organisms inclu ...
to infect agricultural pests. They can be used against a wide variety of species, including weevils
Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...
, cutworms
Cutworms are moth larvae that hide under litter or soil during the day, coming out in the dark to feed on plants. A larva typically attacks the first part of the plant it encounters, namely the stem, often of a seedling, and consequently cuts it ...
, gnats and mole crickets.
References
Further reading
* * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q5304420 Rhabditida Rhabditida genera