Phytonematode Pathology: Ultrastructural Studies. I. Parasitism of Meloidogyne arenaria Eggs by Verticillium chlamydosporium

Abstract

An isolate of Verticillium chlamydosporium Goddard, from females of Meloidogyne arenaria (Neal) Chitwood, was evaluated in vitro for its ability to parasitize eggs of the nematode. It prevented egg hatching and colonized eggs by hyphal penetration. Both the egg shell and larval cuticle were disrupted, and hyphae readily proliferated endogenously within the eggs and larvae. Hyphae within the egg were able to reemerge through the shell. Some ultrastructural disorganization of the chitin and lipid layers of the egg shell and the basal layer of the larval cuticle was evident. Invaded larvae soon became totally necrotic and disintegrated internally.