Open    Access



Steinernema tbilisiensis sp. n. (Nematoda: Steinernematidae)—A New Species of Entomopathogenic Nematode from Georgia



Author(s)

Oleg Gorgadze¹, Manana Lortkhipanidze¹, Jean-Claude Ogier^{2, 3}, Patrick Tailliez^{2, 3} and Medea Burjanadze⁴

Full-Text PDF XML     1553 Views

DOI:10.17265/2161-6256/2015.04.005

1. Institute of Zoology of Ilia State University, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
2. INRA, UMR 1333 Diversité, Génomes & Interactions Microorganismes-Insectes (DGIMI), Montpellier F-34000, France
3. Université Montpellier 2, UMR 1333 Diversité, Génomes & Interactions Microorganismes-Insectes (DGIMI), Montpellier F-34000, France
4. Agricultural University of Georgia, Tbilisi 0103, Georgia

A new species of entomopathogenic nematode (EPN), Steinernema tbilisiensis sp. n. is described. The species was isolated from soil samples of the deciduous forest located in the Tbilisi area. Morphological and morphometric data as well as phylogenetic analysis show that S. tbilisiensis sp. n. belongs to the group S. affine/intermedium. S. tbilisiensis sp. n. has been attributed to the group S. affine/intermedium on the basis of spicule and gubernaculum structure. The new species differs from other species of S. affine/intermedium group in the following diagnostic characters: the spicule of S. tbilisiensis sp. n. is the smallest and the gubernaculum of S. tbilisiensis sp. n. is shorter than other species of the S. affine/intermedium group. Infective juveniles (IJs) of S. tbilisiensis sp. n. are distinguished by a relatively long body (L = 866 µm), the position of excretory pore (EP = 72 µm), the length of the esophagus (ES = 140 µm) and the length of the anal body width (ABW = 25 µm). IJs of S. tbilisiensis sp. n. have four lateral lines like S. beddingi, but the number of lines is six in S. affine, S. sichuanense and S. intermedium. Also the analysis of rDNA (28S and ITS) gene sequences depicts this Steinernema species as a distinct and unique entity. The symbiotic bacteria of S. tbilisiensis sp. n. was isolated and found to be Xenorhabdus bovienii using a multigene approach.

New species, Steinernema, morphology, phylogeny, EPN.