title: Characterization of an isolate of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae) from the Northern Territory, Australia, using morphology and molecular data.
abstract: An entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis H39, was found in Darwin, Australia. Based on morphological and morphometric similarities, and molecular characterisation, it is an isolate of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Males, hermaphrodites, females and juveniles showed important similarities on most characters that define H. bacteriophora. The morphometrics of the infective juvenile of Heterorhabditis H39 are similar to those of H. bacteriophora, including average body length (562 (537-587) vs 570 (520-600) µm), maximum body width (21 (19-22) vs 24 (21-31) µm), distance from the anterior end to the EP (96 (87-104) vs 104 (94-109) µm) and tail length (101 (94-111) vs 91 (83-99) µm). The morphology of the spicules and gubernaculum of male Heterorhabditis H39 are indistinguishable from those of H. bacteriophora. The biology and life cycle of Heterorhabditis H39 are similar to those of other Heterorhabditis species. The Neighbour-Joining Tree based on 475 nucleotides of the SSU rRNA gene showed that Heterorhabditis H39 formed a monophyletic group with other H. bacteriophora isolates with a bootstrap value of 100. Thus, phylogenetic study of SSU sequence data provided strong evidence that Heterorhabditis H39 is an isolate of H. bacteriophora. This is the first record of H. bacteriophora in northern Australia.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University, Science Education Complex Building A Room 105, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108, Philippines.; Email: johnhenry.sagun@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: John Henry
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sagun
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, and School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Kerrie Ann
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: DNA Barcoding Laboratory, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Ian Kendrich
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Fontanilla
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University, Science Education Complex Building A Room 105, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108, Philippines.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Merab Antone
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: DNA Barcoding Laboratory, Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Darren Anton
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Laurente
mesh_terms: D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D015876:Northern Territory; D009929:Organ Size; D010802:Phylogeny; D017172:Rhabditoidea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development