Isolation and characterisation of Heterorhabditis spp. (Nematoda : Heterorhabditidae) from Hungary, Estonia and Denmark

Targeted surveys were conducted for the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorha bditis in areas of Denmark, Estonia and Hungary. Isolates were identified b y IEF, PCR and cross-fertility tests as belonging to three distinct taxonom ic groups: H. bacteriophora, the north-west European (NWE) type of H. megid is and the Irish type of Heterorhabditis. The Irish and NWE types of Hetero rhabditis were both present in Denmark (at six and four sites, respectively ), while only the NWE type was recovered in Estonia. H. bacteriophora was t he dominant heterorhabditid identified in Hungary (ten sites), but the Iris h type was also detected at two sites. This is the first report of the Iris h type of Heterorhabditis on continental Europe. Go-occurrence of two Heter orhabditis types at a single site was noted in Denmark, (Irish and NWE) and in Hungary (Irish and H. bacteriophora). Heterorhabditis was recovered at 38.5% of sites (n = 26) in Denmark (north coast of Sjaelland), 27.3% of the coastal sites (n = 22) in Estonia, and 32.6% of sites (n = 46) in Hungary.