Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314552
Title: Occurrence of Panagrellus (Rhabditida: Panagrolaimidae) nematodes in a morphologically aberrant adult specimen of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae)

Author
item CAMEROTA, MANUELA - Research Centre For Agrobiology And Pedology
item MAZZA, GIUSEPPE - Research Centre For Agrobiology And Pedology
item Carta, Lynn
item PAOLI, FRANCESCO - Research Centre For Agrobiology And Pedology
item TORRINI, GIULIA - Research Centre For Agrobiology And Pedology
item BENVENUTI, CLAUDIA - Research Centre For Agrobiology And Pedology
item CARLETTI, BEATRICE - Research Centre For Agrobiology And Pedology
item FRANCARDI, VALERIA - Research Centre For Agrobiology And Pedology
item ROVERSI, PIO - Research Centre For Agrobiology And Pedology

Submitted to: Journal of Nematology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2016
Publication Date: 5/31/2016
Citation: Camerota, M., Mazza, G., Carta, L.K., Paoli, F., Torrini, G., Benvenuti, C., Carletti, B., Francardi, V., Roversi, P.F. 2016. Occurrence of Panagrellus (Rhabditida: Panagrolaimidae) nematodes in a morphologically aberrant adult specimen of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae). Journal of Nematology. 48(1):1-6.

Interpretive Summary: The red palm weevil (RPW) is the most devastating pest of date and ornamental palms in the world. It originated in Asia but recently invaded countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and, in 2010, California. This invasive species costs millions of dollars to farmers and landscapers. A major problem for growers worldwide is the lack of environmentally safe RPW control. In this paper, agricultural researchers from Italy and an ARS scientist report the discovery of a new microscopic roundworm or nematode found in an unusual deformed cavity of the hardened skin of a RPW from insect colonies grown in an Italian laboratory. In addition, anatomical and DNA information for detecting and identifying this nematode is presented. These discoveries are significant because this type of nematode has never been found in palm weevils before and might be exploited as a possible biological control agent. This information will be used by researchers developing methods for integrated control of palm weevils.

Technical Abstract: An aberrant specimen of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) also known as Red Palm Weevil, the most economically important insect pest of palms in the world, was found among a batch of conspecifics reared for research purposes. A morphological analysis of this weevil revealed the presence of nematodes associated with a structured cuticle defect. Nematodes were characterized by molecular analysis using 28S ribosomal DNA and shown to belong to the family Panagrolaimidae (Rhabditida), within a clade for Panagrellus. A single male adult was partially characterized with a light microscope, and morphometrics showed similarities to a species described from Germany. Excluding the entomopathogenic nematodes, few other entomophilic nematodes are associated with this weevil. This is the first report of panagrolaimid nematodes associated with this invasive pest. Possible mechanisms of nematode-insect association are discussed.