My favourite nematode – Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita

Rae, Robbie

doi:10.1163/15685411-00003209

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 25 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…More sophisticated genetic techniques have been shown to work in EPNs, such as RNAi in S. carpocapsae 238 and H. bacteriophora, 239 and even transgenic techniques in H. bacteriophora. 240 Although P. hermaphrodita has been proposed as a model nematode to understand the genetic mechanisms of parasitism, [241][242][243][244] development of techniques for genetic manipulation are in their infancy. 40 With the subsequent sequencing of the genome ongoing (Sheehy, Rae, unpublished data), the unravelling of the genetic blueprint of P. hermaphrodita may aid in the development of molecular tools.…”

Section: 1mentioning

confidence: 99%

Thirty years of slug control using the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita and beyond

Rae

Sheehy

McDonald-Howard

2023

Pest Management Science

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Several slug species are highly pestiferous and threaten global sustainable agriculture. Current control methods rely heavily on metaldehyde pellets, which are often ineffective, harm nontarget organisms and have been banned in some countries. A viable alternative is the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita (and recently P. californica), which has been formulated into a biological control agent (Nemaslug®) to control slugs across northern Europe. Nematodes are mixed with water and applied to soil where they seek out slugs, penetrate behind the mantle and kill them in 4–21 days. Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita has been on the market since 1994 and since then there has been ample research on its use. Here we review the research carried out on P. hermaphrodita over the last 30 years since its development and release as a commercial product. We provide information on life cycle, worldwide distribution, history of commercialisation, gastropod immunity, host range, ecological and environmental factors that affect its success in the field, bacterial relationships, and summarise results of field trials. Finally, we suggest future directions for P. hermaphrodita research (and other Phasmarhabditis species) to enhance its use as a biological control agent to control slugs for the next 30 years. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

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Section: 1mentioning

confidence: 99%

Thirty years of slug control using the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita and beyond

Rae

Sheehy

McDonald-Howard

2023

Pest Management Science

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“…and Heterorhabditis spp., at least if M. osloensis is included in the preparation. It has been suggested that P. hermaphrodita may be pathogenic to molluscs even in the absence of M. osloensis [ 161 , 162 ]. If that is so, preparations of P. hermaphrodita that do not include Moraxella or other associated bacteria would not raise the question of the applicability of FIFRA.…”

Section: Current Best Practices Sarcophagid Flies and Phasmarhabditismentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological Control of Pest Non-Marine Molluscs: A Pacific Perspective on Risks to Non-Target Organisms

Christensen

Cowie

Yeung

et al. 2021

Insects

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Classic biological control of pest non-marine mollusks has a long history of disastrous outcomes, and despite claims to the contrary, few advances have been made to ensure that contemporary biocontrol efforts targeting mollusks are safe and effective. For more than half a century, malacologists have warned of the dangers in applying practices developed in the field of insect biological control, where biocontrol agents are often highly host-specific, to the use of generalist predators and parasites against non-marine mollusk pests. Unfortunately, many of the lessons that should have been learned from these failed biocontrol programs have not been rigorously applied to contemporary efforts. Here, we briefly review the failures of past non-marine mollusk biocontrol efforts in the Pacific islands and their adverse environmental impacts that continue to reverberate across ecosystems. We highlight the fact that none of these past programs has ever been demonstrated to be effective against targeted species, and at least two (the snails Euglandina spp. and the flatworm Platydemus manokwari) are implicated in the extinction of hundreds of snail species endemic to Pacific islands. We also highlight other recent efforts, including the proposed use of sarcophagid flies and nematodes in the genus Phasmarhabditis, that clearly illustrate the false claims that past bad practices are not being repeated. We are not making the claim that biocontrol programs can never be safe and effective. Instead, we hope that in highlighting the need for robust controls, clear and measurable definitions of success, and a broader understanding of ecosystem level interactions within a rigorous scientific framework are all necessary before claims of success can be made by biocontrol advocates. Without such amendments to contemporary biocontrol programs, it will be impossible to avoid repeating the failures of non-marine mollusk biocontrol programs to date.

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Introducing nematodes and the use of model organisms: a practical class for undergraduate students

Price

Olver

2021

Journal of Biological Education

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My favourite nematode – Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita

Cited by 5 publications

References 25 publications

Thirty years of slug control using the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita and beyond

Thirty years of slug control using the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita and beyond

Biological Control of Pest Non-Marine Molluscs: A Pacific Perspective on Risks to Non-Target Organisms

Introducing nematodes and the use of model organisms: a practical class for undergraduate students

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