Diet composition has a differential effect on immune tolerance in insect larvae exposed to Mesorhabditis belari, Enterobacter hormaechei and its metabolites

Assessment of the Entomopathogenic Potential of Fungal and Bacterial Isolates from Fall Armyworm Cadavers Against Spodoptera frugiperda Caterpillars and the Adult Boll Weevil, Anthonomus grandis

“…Thus, since we isolated this bacterium from S. frugiperda cadavers and proved its pathogenesis to caterpillars and pupae of this species, E. hormaechei may also affect artificial populations of this species through direct transmission from humans handling the insects; or natural populations, through the dispersion of this pathogen in natural environments. Studies on the pathogenicity of E. hormaechei in insects are rare, but this species was also isolated from nematode-infected S. litura larvae (Manjula et al 2020 ), suggesting that the activity of this symbiotic bacterium in caterpillars tissues may facilitate nematode attack, decreasing immune tolerance. Reinhardt et al ( 2005 ) isolated E. hormaechei from the bed bug Cimex lectularius , and suggested that female insemination by contaminated males is an important source of mortality of bedbugs by entomopathogenic bacteria.…”

“…Enzymes and toxins may constitute the E. hormaechei metabolic network of action. Manjula et al ( 2020 ) demonstrated that secondary metabolites of this bacterium extracted in ethyl acetate produce high larval mortality in S. litura . Thus, future studies with different E. hormaechei strains may propose strategies for the controlled use of this bacterium or of specific culture metabolites to biocontrol Spodoptera under agricultural pest conditions.…”

First in family Rhabdiasidae: the reference-guided genome assembly of an invasive parasite, the cane toad lungworm (Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala)

“…However, comparative genomics between Pleiorhabditid species could be an interesting avenue of future research, because even just considering the two we have included in this study, they have quite distinct life-histories. There are obvious parallels between these species, both have life stages that can be found in soils, but M. belari are entomopathogenic (118), while R. pseudosphaerocephala infect toads. In addition, the two species differ extensively in their reproductive modes, with M. belari being auto-pseudogamous, producing males which only serve to activate female oocytes, and do not pass on any genetic material (119), while R. pseudosphaerocephala has a heterogonic life cycle, with alternating gonochoristic and hermaphroditic generations.…”