Characterisation of, and entomopathogenic studies on, Pristionchus aerivorus (Cobb in Merrill & Ford, 1916) Chitwood, 1937 (Rhabditida: Diplogastridae) from North Carolina, USA

During a survey of entomopathogenic nematodes in North Carolina, USA, a Pristionchus species was recovered using the Galleria bait method. Morphological studies with light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, mating tests with reference strains, as well as molecular analyses of the near-full-length small subunit rRNA gene (18S) and D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit rRNA gene (28S) identified this isolate as Pristionchus aerivorus. Exposed Galleria larvae were killed within 48 h and high numbers of nematodes were recovered from the cadavers about 5 days later. Preliminary tests revealed that this nematode is capable of infecting at least two other insect species (Helicoverpa zea and Tenebrio molitor) under laboratory conditions. The status of the genus Chroniodiplogaster is discussed and confirmed as a junior synonym of Pristionchus based on morphological observation and molecular phylogenetic analysis.