Identification of heterorhabditis (nematoda: heterorhabditidae) from california with a new species isolated from the larvae of the ghost moth hepialis californiens (lepidoptera : hepialidae) from the bodega bay natural reserve

Classical taxonomy together with cross-breeding tests and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD's) were used to detect morphological and genetic variation between populations of Heterorhabditis Poinar, 1975 from California. A new species, Heterorhabditis hepialius sp. n., recovered from ghost moth caterpillars (Hepialis californiens) in Bodega Bay, California, USA is herein described and illustrated. This is the eighth species in the genus Heterorhabditis and is characterized by the morphology of the spicules, gubernaculum, the female's tail, and ratios E and F of the infective juveniles. Information on its bionomics is provided.