Species of the genus Steinernema Travassos, 1927

Known species of Steinernema Travassos, 1927 with a biocontrol potential- Identification was based on morphological and molecular techniques

1. Steinernema abbasi Elawad, Ahma & Reid, 1997
2. S. aciari Qiu, Yan, Zhou, Nguyen & Pang, 2004
3. S. affine (Bovien, 1937) Wouts, Mrácek, Gerdin & Bedding, 1982
4. S. akhursti Qiu, Hu, Zhou, Mei, Nguyen, & Pang, 2005
5. S. anatoliense Hazir, Stock & Keskin, 2003
6. S. apuliae Triggiani, Mracek & Reid, 2004
7. S. arenarium (Artyukhovsky, 1967) Wouts, Mrácek, Gerdin & Bedding, 1982
8. S. ashiuense Phan, Takemoto & Futai, 2006
9. S. asiaticum Shahina, Reid & Rowe, 2002
10. S. australe, Edgington, Buddie, Tymo, Hunt, Nguyen, France, Merino, & Moore, 2009
11. S. backanense Phan, Spiridonov, Subbotin & Moens, 2006
12. S. balochiense Fayyaz, Khanum, Ali, Solangi, Gulsher & Javed, 2015
13. S. beddingi Qiu, Hu, Zhou, Pang & Nguyen, 2005
14. S. bicornutum Tallosi, Peters & Ehlers 1995
15. S. brazilense, Nguyen, Ginarte, Leite, dos Santos, & Harakava, 2010
16. S. carpocapsae (Weiser, 1955) Wouts, Mrácek, Gerdin & Bedding, 1982
17. S. caudatum Xu, Wang & Li, 1991
18. S. ceratophorum Jian, Reid & Hunt 1997
19. S. cholashanense Nguyen, Puža & Mrácek, 2008
20. S. citrae Stokwe, Malan, Nguyen, Knoetze, & Tiedt, 2011
21. S. costaricense Uribe, Mora & Stock, 2007
22. S. cubanum Mrá¡cek, Hernandez & Boemare, 1994
23. S. cumgarense Phan, Spiridonov, Subbotin & Moens, 2006
24. S. dharanaii , Kulkarni, Rizvi, Kumar, Paunikar& Mishra, 2012
25. S. diaprepesi Nguyen, & Duncan, 2002
26. S. eapokense Phan, Spiridonov, Subbotin & Moens, 2006
27.  S. fabii Abate, Malan, Tiedt, Wingfield, Slippers, Hurley, 2016. 
28. S. feltiae (Filipjev, 1934) Wouts, Mrácek, Gerdin & Bedding, 1982
29. S. glaseri (Steiner, 1929) Wouts, Mracek, Gerdin & Bedding, 1982
30. S. guangdongense Qiu, Fang, Zhou, Pang, & Nguyen, 2004
31. S. hebeiense Chen, Li, Yan, Spiridonov & Moens, 2006
32. S. hermaphroditum Stock, Griffin, & Chaerani, 2004
33. S.  innovation Cimen, Lee, Hatting, Hazir, Stock 2015
34. S. intermedium (Poinar, 1985) Mamiya, 1988
35. S. jeffreyense Malan, Knoetze & Tiedt, 2016
36. S. jollieti Spiridonov, Krasomil-Osterfeld & Moens, 2004
37. S. karii Waturu, Hunt & Reid, 1997
38. S. khoisanae Nguyen, Malan, & Gozel, 2006
39. S. kraussei (Steiner, 1923) Travassos, 1927
40. S. kushidai Mamiya, 1988
41. S. leizhouense Nguyen, Qiu, Zhou, & Pang, 2006
42. S. litorale Yoshida, 2004
43. S. loci Phan, Nguyen & Moens, 2001
44. S. longicaudum Shen & Wang, 1992
45. S. monticolum Stock, Choo & Kaya, 1997
46. S. neocurtillae Nguyen & Smart, 1992
47. S. oregonense Liu & Berry, 1996
48. S. pakistanense Shahina, Anis, Reid, Rowe & Maqbool, 2001
49. S. papillatum  San-Blas, Portillo, Nermut, Puza, & Morales-Montero 2015
50. S. phyllophagae Nguyen and Buss, 2011
51. S. puertoricense Roman & Figueroa, 1994
52. S. puntauvense Uribe, Mora & Stock, 2007
53. S. rarum (Doucet, 1986) Mamiya, 1988
54. S. riobrave Cabanillas, Poinar & Raulston, 1994
55. S. ritteri de Doucet & Doucet, 1992
56. S. robustispiculum Phan, Subbotin, Waeyenberge, & Moens, 2005
57. S. sangi Phan, Nguyen & Moens, 2001
58. S. sasonense Phan, Spiridonov, Subbotin & Moens, 2006
59. S. scapterisci Nguyen & Smart, 1992
60. S. scarabaei Stock & Koppenhöfer 2003
61. S. serratum Liu, 1992
62. S. siamkayai Stock, Somsook & Kaya, 1998
63. S. sichuanense Mrácek, Nguyen, Tailliez, Boemare & Chen, 2006
64. S. silvaticum Sturhan, Spiridonov & Mracek, 2005
65. S. tami Luc, Nguyen, Reid & Spiridonov, 2000
66. S. texanum Nguyen, Stuart, Andalo, Gozel, & Roger, 2007
67. S. thanhi Phan, Nguyen & Moens, 2001
68. S. thermophilum Ganguly & Singh, 2000
69. S. websteri Cutler & Stock, 2003
70. S. weiseri Mrácek, Sturhan & Reid, 2003
71. S. xinbinense Ma, Chen, De Clercq, Waeyenberge, Han & Moens, 2012
72. S. xueshanense, Mracek, Liu, & Nguyen, 2009
73. S. yirgalemense Nguyen, Tesfamariam, Gozel, Gaugler, & Adams, 2005

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Entomopathogenic Nematode Facts

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) of the two genera Steinernema Travassos, 1927 and Heterorhabditis Poinar, 1976 in the order Rhabdita kill most insects but they are harmless to some beneficial insects (e.g. honey bees), higher animals and environment. Third-stage juvenile is the only free-living stage in the life cycle of the nematode known as the infective juvenile or dauer juvenile that found in soil and can seek, infect and kill their insect hosts.

These infective juveniles are mutualistically associated with symbiotic bacteria (Xenorhabdus spp. or Photorhabdus spp.) in the family Enterobacteriaceae, which are capable of causing disease in insect pests and killing them.

Species of genus, Xenorhabdus are specifically assocaited with the members of the nematode genusSteinernema and Photorhabdus species are associated with the members of nematode genusHeterorhabditis.

In this mutualistic relationship, the nematode infective juveniles provides protection for bacterium outside the insect host (as bacterium is unable to survive in the outside environment i.e. soil or water) and a means of transmission to new hosts and in return bacteria provides nutrients required for the nematode development and reproduction.

Infective juveniles are adapted to remain in the soil environment without feeding until they find a suitable host.

They are also resistant to unfavorable environmental conditions such as desiccation, heat and freezing.

EPNs can infect soil dwelling stages of butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, crickets and grasshoppers.

Infective juveniles of different nematode species employ different foraging strategy to find and infect their insect hosts. For example, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora is a cruiser forager meaning that it actively finds out or hunts its prey, Steinernema carpocapsae is an ambusher forager that sits and wait for a pray to pass by and S. feltiae and S. rivobrave are intermediate foragers.

EPNs are now commercially produced using both in vivo (in living host) and in vitro (in artificial medium) techniques.

Since EPNs have a wide host range, they are currently used as potential biological control agents to manage insect pests of many field crops, greenhouse and nursery plants, horticultural crops, turfgrass, and in some instances insect pests of animals and humans.

EPNs also have a potential to use as biocontrol agents against plant-parasitic nematodes.

Commercially produced nematode infective juveniles can be stored for extended periods and easily applied in aqueous suspensions in the field using traditional sprayers.

Also, EPNs are compatible with several chemical fungicides, insecticides, nematicides and herbicides, and therefore, they can be easily included in IPM programs.

Under current pesticide regulations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has exempted these biological control agents from registration.