Influence of Host Nutrients on the Parasitic Development of Mermis nigrescens (Mermithidae)
Abstract
Schistocerca gregaria nymphs and adults of both sexes were infected with eggs of Mermis nigrescens. Mermithid larvae grew more slowly in nymphal hosts, and emerging larvae were smaller than those from adult hosts. The longer the larvae remained in the host, the greater their size. Those developing in adult female hosts were longest. Single mermithid larvae that were transferred to a second host continued to grow and were significantly longer at emergence than larvae that developed solely in one host. In adult hosts that were infected with 40-300 M. nigrescens eggs, the percentage of mermithids that became males was strongly dependent on host weight at infective doses of 90 eggs or more. Results are discussed in relation to nutrient stress on the larvae and its importance in developing in vitro culture techniques. Key words: sex ratios, parasite burden, Mermis nigrescens, Schistocerca gregaria, nutrient stress, larval development.Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright and Permissions
All material published by the Society of Nematologists (SON), except for papers prepared by United States and Canadian government employees, is copyrighted and protected under the U.S. copyright law. Under the Copyright Act of 1976, the term of copyright for materials registered by an organization is 75 years from the date first published. Before publishing any manuscript, SON requires that authors transfer full and complete ownership of any copyright to SON by signing a JON Page Charge/Copyright Form (.pdf). SON then registers the copyright. Subsequent use of published materials requires written permission from the SON and may be obtained by contacting the current Editor-in-Chief and state where and how the material will be used.
The author warrants that the article is an original work not published elsewhere in whole or in part, except in abstract form, and that the author has full power to make this grant. If portions of the article have been published previously, then the author warrants that permission has been obtained from the copyright holder and the author will submit a copy of the permission release with this copyright transfer form.
SON shall claim no proprietary right other than copyright. Authors and coauthors retain the right to revise, adapt, modify, or otherwise use all or part of the article in future works of the author(s), such as press releases, lectures, and reviews, provided that all such use is for the personal noncommercial benefit of the author(s). All patent rights are retained by the author(s).
