Testing a new low-labour method for detecting the presence of Phasmarhabditis spp. in slugs in New Zealand

Wilson, Michael J.; Wilson, D.R.; Aalders, Lee T.; Tourna, Maria

doi:10.1163/15685411-00003005

Cited by 18 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Most of the nematodes we recovered were likely either free-living or phoretic on the slugs, with the exception of P. californica , which is a facultative parasite of slugs (Tandingan De Ley et al ., 2016). The reason for this may be due to the use of the decapitation technique (Wilson et al ., 2016), which can encourage the replication of free-living or phoretic nematodes. In the future, slug cadavers should be rinsed thoroughly prior to placing in Petri dishes to remove phoretic species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Slugs were decapitated and cadavers were incubated for two weeks in individual Petri dishes, which were covered and sealed with Parafilm (Wilson et al ., 2016). If nematodes were present on the cadaver at that time, three individuals were transferred with a sterile pin to 95% ethanol and later identified using molecular techniques.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most surveys on nematodes associated with terrestrial slugs have, to date, focused on Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa and the USA (Ross et al ., 2016; Wilson et al ., 2016). Thus far, nematodes belonging to nine families have been found in association with slugs as phoretic or definitive hosts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nematodes associated with terrestrial slugs in the Edmonton region of Alberta, Canada

et al. 2020

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A survey of nematodes associated with terrestrial slugs was conducted in residential gardens, nurseries, greenhouses and agricultural sites located in and around Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A total of 2406 slugs were collected from 82 sites. Slugs were decapitated and cadavers were incubated for two weeks, with emerging nematodes removed and processed for identification. Nematodes were identified using molecular sequence data for the 18S ribosomal DNA. Nematodes were recovered from 20 of the 82 sites surveyed, with 24.4% of the slugs infected with nematodes. A total of seven nematodes were identified to species level, including Caenorhabditis elegans, Panagrolaimus papillosus, Pellioditis typica, Pelodera pseudoteres, Rhabditella axei, Rhabditoides inermiformis and Phasmarhabditis californica. An additional four specimens were identified to genus level, including Oscheius sp. (9), Pristionchus sp., Rhabditis sp. and Rhabditophanes sp. (1). The two most common nematode species were C. elegans and P. pseudoteres. The facultative parasite, P. californica, was recovered from a single Arion rufus specimen, collected from a seasonal nursery. To our knowledge, this study represents the first survey of slug-associated nematodes in Canada.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nematodes associated with terrestrial slugs in the Edmonton region of Alberta, Canada

et al. 2020

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“…Slugs were also collected from the Cruickshank Botanic Garden at the University of Aberdeen (NJ9376008556) (n = 48) and from Dale, Wales (SM809057) (n = 19). Once collected they were transported back to the lab, where they were chopped in half and placed in a 5 cm Petri dish with a few drops of distilled water and stored at room temperature (Wilson et al , 2016). Over four days the slugs were examined for presence of nematodes.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development ofPhasmarhabditis hermaphrodita(and members of thePhasmarhabditisgenus) as new genetic model nematodes to study the genetic basis of parasitism

Andrus

Rae

2018

J. Helminthol.

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The genetic mechanisms of how free-living nematodes evolved into parasites are unknown. Current genetic model nematodes (e.g. Caenorhabditis elegans) are not well suited to provide the answer, and mammalian parasites are expensive and logistically difficult to maintain. Here we propose the terrestrial gastropod parasite Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita as a new alternative to study the evolution of parasitism, and outline the methodology of how to keep P. hermaphrodita in the lab for genetic experiments. We show that P. hermaphrodita (and several other Phasmarhabditis species) are easy to isolate and identify from slugs and snails from around the UK. We outline how to make isogenic lines using 'semi-natural' conditions to reduce in-lab evolution, and how to optimize growth using nematode growth media (NGM) agar and naturally isolated bacteria. We show that P. hermaphrodita is amenable to forward genetics and that unc and sma mutants can be generated using formaldehyde mutagenesis. We also detail the procedures needed to carry out genetic crosses. Furthermore, we show natural variation within our Phasmarhabditis collection, with isolates displaying differences in survival when exposed to high temperatures and pH, which facilitates micro and macro evolutionary studies. In summary, we believe that this genetically amenable parasite that shares many attributes with C. elegans as well as being in Clade 5, which contains many animal, plant and arthropod parasites, could be an excellent model to understand the genetic basis of parasitism in the Nematoda.

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“…However, there were no published records of the nematode in New Zealand so a nationwide sampling survey of endemic slug populations was required. The survey found the nematode at three sites throughout New Zealand (Wilson et al 2016) meaning this it is possible to import the product. However, the small market size has not yet attracted company interest in funding the registration process, when larger markets such as California are being explored.…”

Section: Phasmarhabditis Hermaphroditamentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial biopesticides for control of invertebrates: Progress from New Zealand

Glare

O’Callaghan

2019

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology

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Biopesticides are needed for control of endemic and invasive pests impacting New Zealand's primary sectors including pests that are emerging as a result of climate change and farming intensification. Products developed in New Zealand are usually based on endemic strains of microorganisms, including new species/strains with novel modes of action. For example, Invade and BioShield were developed using endemic strains of the bacterium Serratia entomophila, for use in New Zealand only. To date, most of these home-grown products have either struggled for market share or have remained in small niche markets. However, the number of products registered for use has been steadily increasing in response to consumer demand. Factors limiting past use of biopesticides in New Zealand include market size, registration costs and limited efficacy over a range of climatic zones. Many promising new agents are currently under development as biopesticides with international applications and the launch of several new start-up companies suggests a brighter future for biopesticide use in New Zealand.

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Testing a new low-labour method for detecting the presence of Phasmarhabditis spp. in slugs in New Zealand

Cited by 18 publications

References 25 publications

Nematodes associated with terrestrial slugs in the Edmonton region of Alberta, Canada

Nematodes associated with terrestrial slugs in the Edmonton region of Alberta, Canada

Development ofPhasmarhabditis hermaphrodita(and members of thePhasmarhabditisgenus) as new genetic model nematodes to study the genetic basis of parasitism

Microbial biopesticides for control of invertebrates: Progress from New Zealand

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