We have studied the chemical communication between the slug-parasitic nematode(Phasmarhabditis papillosa) and economically important species of slugs in Slovenia. We were interested in how the parasitic nematode P. papillosa responds to the stimuli, caused by the mucus of the following slug species: Arion vulgaris, Limax maximus, Deroceras reticulatum and Helix pomatia. We assumed that at different temperatures the nematodes sense the chemical stimuli, emanating from slug mucus, with varying degrees of intensity. We also assumed that different slug species attract the nematodes by eliminating mucus with varying degrees of intensity. Independent of the treatment, the movement of P. papillosa was more strongly expressed at a
higher temperature (20 °C) than at a lower (15 °C). Independent of the temperature, the movement of nematodes was most intense in the treatment where we used the
mucus of Limax maximus, which acted as an attractant on a directed movement at 20 °C. When comparing mucus of different slug species, none of them had an effect on
the directed movement of P. papillosa at a lower temperature (15 °C). At 20 °C, however, the treatments have shown that the mucus of Limax maximus and Helix pomatia was more attractive to the nematodes than the mucus of Arion vulgaris or Deroceras reticulatum.
|
