Work

Differential Phoretic Vector Use Among Sympatric Caenorhabditis Nematodes and an Association With Invasive Nitidulid Beetles in Southwestern Germany

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Little is known about the natural history of many Caenorhabditis nematodes, despite their relationship to the model species C. elegans . While these nematodes rely on invertebrate vectors to disperse to new habitats (phoresy), vector use for most species has not been characterized. We surveyed the invertebrate community of a habitat containing three sympatric Caenorhabditis in southwestern Germany, determining differential and specific vector use for each of these co‐occurring species. We documented a specific association between C. apta sp. n. and two species of invasive nitidulid beetles, and a particularly strong association of the nematode with the beetle Stelidota geminata , where we recovered more nematodes per individual beetle and a higher proportion of beetles carrying nematodes compared to the co‐occurring Epuraea ocularis . Our results provide evidence for group dispersal using beetles in C. apta , supporting previous observations of collective dispersal behavior in this species, and establish a starting point for further dissecting the evolutionary and mechanistic causes and consequences of interactions between Caenorhabditis nematodes and their vector species in ecologically relevant conditions.

Source: Ecology and Evolution

Authors: Ryan Greenway, Loel Dalan, Christian Braendle, Marie‐Anne Félix, Siyu Serena Ding