Morphology of the lateral fields of the infective juvenile of the entomopathogenic family Steinernematidae (Nematoda) using high pressure freezing (HPF)

The lateral field pattern of infective juveniles of the nematode family Steinernematidae is an important taxonomic character. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows the number of ridges and lines or incisures clearly, but does not provide other details. In the present study, ten species from six clades of Steinernematidae have been studied for their lateral field morphology using SEM and high pressure freezing (HPF) with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Both methods indicated the same number of ridges and lines, although HPF/TEM resulted in a more detailed morphology with differences between the species. The tips of the ridges are either finely rounded or pointed and the lines are V-shaped or have a broadened bottom. These characters represent an additional pattern that may be characteristic for some species within the phylogenetic clades. Further studies of the lateral field morphology of other species is needed to ascertain whether each pattern is clade specific and phylogenetically valuable.