Horsehair worm parasitism of mantids was investigated for two years, 2012 and 2013. The mantids were collected from forty-nine sites from August to November. Mantids collected from twenty-one sites (42.9%) were parasitized by horsehair worms.
The p...
Horsehair worm parasitism of mantids was investigated for two years, 2012 and 2013. The mantids were collected from forty-nine sites from August to November. Mantids collected from twenty-one sites (42.9%) were parasitized by horsehair worms.
The parasitism was different depending on mantid species and collecting sites, that is, 10.8% in Tenodera angustipennis and 18.0% in Tenodera aridifolia from stream, 40.9% and 8.8% from reservoir, 16.7% and 8.0% from non-water area, and 22.2% and 19.6% from farmland, respectively.
Chordodes japonensis was recorded from Tenodera angustipennis and T. aridifolia and C. fukuii, a newly recorded species in Korea, was isolated from T. aridifolia.
C. japonensis was found from Tenodera angustipennis and T. aridifolia collected from Gyeongnam province (Jinju, Sancheong, Sacheon, Uiryeong, Hapcheon, and Goseong) and Sangju, Gyeongsbuk province. C. fukuii was isolated from T. aridifolia collected from Gunwi, Gyeongbuk province and Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi province.
The C. japonensis parasitism of T. angustipennis and T. aridifolia was 27.0% and 10.7%, respectively. The number of C. japonensis in a host was from one to nine, but most of it was one from a host. The body length of C. japonensis showed tendency to decrease with number of parasites, but not significantly different. Horsehair worms did not affect body and abdomen length and digestive system of host. However, egg possession of host was different, that is, unparasitized T. angustipennis and T. aridifolia. had more eggs (63.7%) than parasitized ones (2.6%).
C. japonensis was parasitized as immature stage in the latter part of August, immature and adult stage in early September, and only adult in the latter part of October. Parasitism was the highest in the latter part of September.