Insecticidal bacteria isolated from predatory larvae of the antlion species Myrmeleon bore (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae)

• Published in: Journal of invertebrate pathology Vol. 96; no. 1; pp. 80 - 88
• Main Authors: Nishiwaki, Hisashi, Ito, Katsuhiko, Shimomura, Masaru, Nakashima, Kenta, Matsuda, Kazuhiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.09.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Antlions; Autoecology; Bacillus cereus; Bacillus sphaericus; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; bacterial identification; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Crop; crop (digestive system); cutworms; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; DNA, Bacterial - isolation & purification; entomopathogenic bacteria; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Insecta - microbiology; Insecticidal bacteria; insecticidal properties; isolation; Klebsiella; Larva - microbiology; larvae; Lepidoptera - microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Morganella morganii; mortality; Myrmeleon; Myrmeleon bore; Myrmeleontidae; Neuroptera; nucleotide sequences; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; predatory insects; Protozoa. Invertebrata; ribosomal DNA; RNA, Bacterial - genetics; RNA, Bacterial - isolation & purification; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - isolation & purification; Serratia marcescens; Spodoptera litura; Crop; Myrmeleon bore; Spodoptera litura; Antlions; Insecticidal bacteria; Predator prey relation; Entomopathogen; Insecta; Injection; Phylogeny; Neuroptera; Prey; Larva; Arthropoda; Myrmeleontidae; Lepidoptera; Microorganism culture; Bacteria; Noctuidae; Predator; Biopesticide; Invertebrata; Microbial insecticide
• ISSN: 0022-2011; 1096-0805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2007.02.007

Various bacterial species were isolated from the crop (digestive organ) of the antlion species Myrmeleon bore and tested for their insecticidal activity against caterpillars by injection. Sixty-eight isolates from the antlion crop were grouped into twenty-four species based on homologies of 16S rRNA gene sequences and biochemical properties. Isolated Bacillus cereus, Bacillus sphaericus, Morganella morganii, Serratia marcescens and a Klebsiella species killed 80% or more cutworms when injected at a dose of 5 × 10 5 cells per insect. In addition, cutworms killed by these isolates resembled observations made of caterpillars attacked by antlions. A culture-independent analysis showed that the isolated bacterial species are likely to be frequently present in the antlion crop. These results suggest that insecticidal microorganisms associate with antlions, and may promote the death of prey.