Identification and Molecular Analysis of Indigenous Entomopathogenic Nematodes, Steinernema, and Heterorhabditis in Iraq.

A survey was conducted in some northern regions of Iraq between 2021 and 2022 to evaluate the diversity of entomopathogenic nematodes in these areas. Entomopathogenic nematodes were isolated from soil using the Galleria trap technique. Molecular identification illustrated that these isolates belong to two genera of entomopathogenic nematodes, Heterorhabditis, and Steinernema. The results of the molecular analysis also showed the presence of Steinernema isolates in the Al-Rashidiyah region in Mosul, Iraq. Heterorhabditis nematodes were isolated from Salah Al-Din, Samarra, and Al-Jadriya, Baghdad. Some collected soil samples were negative and had no nematode species such as Dohuk, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and Anbar cities. Molecular analyses using 28S genes confirmed that the isolated nematodes were Heterorhabditis indica (OQ653109.1), Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (OR243201.1), and Steinernema carpocapsae (OR243196.1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]