Indian Journal of Nematology

Nematode-insect associations can often be very intricate and complex. Such associations can often give important clues about their sharing resources in the environment, interdependence for mutual benefits including transport and some antagonistic relationships too, showing competition for resources and survival. The present study gives an account of the insect species serving as carriers for the phoretic nematodes, the type of phorecy determined by the insect body parts invaded and the cuticular structures in nematodes aiding their survival and transport in the stressed conditions. The nematode species extracted from insects belong to families Rhabditidae, Bunonematidae, Diplogastridae, Cephalobidae, Panagrolaimidae and Aphelenchoididae. The insect carriers mainly belong to order Coleoptera with major representatives belonging to family Scarabaeidae. The cuticular ornamentations and extracuticular deposits in the extracted nematodes were also observed using light and electron microscopy to assess their relevance in stressed environments.