Abstract
Nematodes are ubiquitous in soil, and their ability to adapt to different environments has enabled them to be an evolutionarily successful group of organisms. Two types of nematodes have been isolated from Parastrachia japonensis Scott (Heteroptera: Parastrachiidae), parasitic and phoretic/necromenic. At least two species of mermithid nematodes parasitize the bug. Because P. japonensis is a sedentary insect that is soil dwelling and remains in very limited areas where Schoepfia jasminodora drupes, their sole food, are available, the bug would be an attractive host for these parasites. Synchronized emergence of mermithids from the host during its late last nymphal stage indicates that the mermithids infect early nymphal stages feeding on drupes on the ground and leave their host in the area where nymphs develop. This suggests that the mermithids have synchronized their life cycle to adapt to the host’s life cycle. The other nematode, the phoretic/necromenic Caenorhabditis japonica, forms a species-specific association with the bug. The nematode leaves the female bug in the bug’s nest and propagates on damaged eggs, nymphal cadavers, and drupes, and dauer larvae, the non-feeding and host-finding stage of the nematode, are reproduced. The nematode uses nymphs for transport and as a food source if they die. The association is biased to female bugs in adulthood, and dauer larvae on the bug enter quiescence, which enables the nematode to reach the bug’s nest in the next reproductive season. Characteristic active host-seeking behavior of C. japonica dauer larvae, such as nictation, waving, and jumping, and the desiccation tolerance of dauer larvae on the bug appear to have evolved to associate with their carrier. The unique life cycle of P. japonensis has created special niches, and different types of nematodes have been adapting to them. Conversely, these associated nematodes might have been influencing the behavior, ecology, and life history of P. japonensis.
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Yoshiga, T., Tanaka, R., Okamura, E. (2022). Nematodes Exploiting P. japonensis. In: Filippi, L., Nomakuchi, S. (eds) The Life History of the Parental Shield Bug, Parastrachia japonensis. Entomology Monographs. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3018-8_7
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