Heterorhabditis bacteriophora ، نخستین گام برای نماتودهای بیمارگر حشرات در عراق

A survey was conducted in three main regions of Iraq to isolate and identify entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN). Soil samples were collected from 15 sites across the tree provinces of grassland, date palm and citrus fields and tested to present species of EPN. Last stage of Galleria mellonella (Lep.: Pyralidae) were used as a trap to collect and isolate the EPNs. After 3-5 days, the infected larvae were transfer to white trap to be able to collect the invective juveniles (IJs) after emergence. After that, the IJs that were collected, stored in shallow water into falcon tube at 7 °C. All nematode specimens used in this study were reared in G. mellonella larvae. From a total of 75 samples, 50% of samples tested positive for the present of nematodes. The collected specimens were characterized first morphologically, then molecular studies were conducted to characterize and identify the isolates on the bases of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 18S rDNA regions. The collected samples were from Heterorhabditis genus. The phylogenetic relations of Heterorhabditis species were analyzed using the maximum likelihood method. The BLAST analysis of the ITS and 18S regions of the rDNA of the Heterorhabditis isolate IRQ showed a rather high similarity of 99% with Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (MF033536). The identified species was as isolate of Heterorhabditis as Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, this is the first date of ITS rDNA and 18S H. bacteriophora from Iraq (Baghdad province). Analysis of Iraqi H. bacteriophora showed that Iraqi isolate place close to Iranian and Pakistan isolates. This could be because the similar environment among these places.