Taxonomic Studies on Heterorhabditis Species Isolated from Cold Desert Condition of Leh Ladakh, India

A strain of Heterorhabditis was isolated from extreme cold desert condition of Leh (Ladakh) Jammu & Kashmir, India. Investigations were undertaken to identify and describe this strain (named L22) with morphological, morphometric and molecular inputs. Results suggested that Heterorhabditis L22 strain was close to H. bacteriophora. Bacteria in L22 strain was identified as Photorhabdus luminescens ssp. laumondii. Presence of this subspecies of bacteria has only been reported in H. bacteriophora. Several differences in morphological and morphometric characters of L22 isolate with H. bacteriophora were pointed out. However, comparisons of Cox1 and partial rDNA sequences with other species suggested it to be an unreported species.