Nematode Feeding

After hatching, plant-parasitic nematodes move through the soil to find areas on plant roots to feed. Some nematodes stay outside the root and use long stylets to puncture cells inside the root (ring, stubby root, and sting nematodes). Nematodes which enter the root may move throughout the root (lesion nematode) and feed at many sites (causing root lesions), or stay in one feeding site (cyst and root-knot nematodes). Nematodes which stay at one feeding site swell from eel-shaped to pear-shaped and stay at the same site until they die.