TAXONOMIC
STATUS
Two families of nematodes in the order Rhabditida contain entomopathogenic
nematodes: Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae.
Family Steinernematidae
Steiner (1923) described the genus and species Aplectana kraussei,
but the genus name was preoccupied so Travassos (1927) renamed the genus
as Steinernema. Two year later Steiner described another genus and
species Neoaplectana glaseri, close to Steinernema kraussei.
In 1934, Filipjev placed Steinernema and Neoaplectana in
the new subfamily Steinernematinae, he stated that Neoaplectana
was probably congeneric with Steinernema. Chitwood and Chitwood
1937 raised the subfamily Steinernematinae to family Steinernematidae.
Wouts et al. 1982, studied the two nematodes and concluded that Neoaplectana
was a junior synonym of Steinernema, leaving the family with a single
genus. In 1994, Nguyen and Smart described the new genus Neosteinernema
and added this nematode to the family.
Presently, the family has two genera: Steinernema and Neosteinernema.
The genus Steinernema has 24 species and the genus Neosteinernema
has only one species.
Family
Heterorhabditidae
This family was erected by Poinar in 1976 when he described the genus
and species Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. The family contains only
one genus Heterorhabditis. This genus has 8 species.
This document was constructed and is maintained by KHUONG
B. NGUYEN
Entomology & Nematology Department
University of Florida