BIODIVERSITY OF ENTOMONEMATODES PARASITIZING SOIL PEST WHITE GRUBS (SCARABAEIDAE) OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

NORA B. CAMINO; MARÍA F. ACHINELLY ; JOSÉ M. RUSCONI ; DAIANA ELICECHE; AUGUSTO SALAS; SALAS, AUGUSTO

Neotropical Helminthology

Asociacion peruana de helmintología e invertebrados afines

Año: 2014 vol. 8 p. 227 - 233

This work was carried out between 2006-2010 in wheat fields of the Pampas, Argentina, in orderto examine the species of nematode parasites and pathogens of white grubs, soil major pest.Samples were taken with shovel in randomly selected sites. Nymphs of Diloboderus abderus andCyclocephalla signaticollis (Scarabaeidae) were collected. Thirteen species of nematodesbelonging to 5 families (Mermithidae, Thelastomatidae, Travassosinematidae, Diplogasteridaeand Rhabditidae) were identified. The richness of species values were 1 for Cyclocephallasignaticollis and 12 for Diloboderus abderus. The thelastomatids and rhabdítids were the largestgroup of nematodes, with a total of 3 species each. The thelastomatids were very prevalent withinfections exceeding 60%, followed by diplogasterids which reached 36%. The mermithids wereless prevalent with values close to 10%. The family Travassosinematidae had the lowestabundance (0.32). Knowledge of nematode community will be a great value to interpret hostparasiterelationships and in many cases determine those species best potential bioregulatorsimportant agents in agricultural areas of Argentina. This study is the first in the Pampas region ofArgentina to provide a list of white worms parasitic nematodes.