OCCURRENCE OF PASTEURIA FORMS FROM A BIOSPHERE RESERVE IN MEXICO

Abstract

Franco-Navarro, F. and D. Godinez-Vidal. 2008. Occurrence of Pasteuria forms from a Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. Nematropica 38:187-194 Three localities and five land uses with different degrees of disturbance were selected inside the buffer zone of the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve in Veracruz, Mexico, and eight sampling points were located in each one. From each sampling point, one hundred nematodes were randomly collected and mounted for identification and detection of associated Pasteuria forms. Pasteuria endospores infecting nematodes were observed in two of three localities, and in four different land uses (secondary forest, maize fields, white lily and pasture fields). A total of 1200 nematodes belonging to six genera were found as infected by or with adhering endospores of Pasteuria spp., including Helicotylenchus exallus (1116), Pratylenchus (44), Mesocriconema (20), Tylenchus (10), Plectus (6) and Aporcelaimium (4). These findings represent the first report of Pasteuria species from Mexico.