First Report of a Mermithid Nematode Infecting<i>Piezodorus guildinii</i>and<i>Acrosternum hilare</i>(Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in the United States

Abstract

A mermithid nematode emerged from stink bugs, Acrosternum hilare and Piezodorus guildinii, collected from Louisiana soybean fields. Photographs of this parasite are presented. An analysis conducted by amplifying 18S rDNA revealed that the nematode belongs to the genus Hexamermis. A BLAST search indicated that the sequence (696 bp) has the closest match to Hexamermis agrotis Wang et al. 18S ribosomal RNA gene. This is the first report of a Hexamermis sp. infecting A. hilare worldwide and a mermithid infecting P. guildinii in the United States.