Fascinating Eggs of Entomopathogenic Nematodes

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Watch the fascinating eggs of entomopathogenic nematodes at different stages of development (Heterorhabditis).

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Have you ever given thought to how eggs are made in first-generation females of Heterorhabditis? It is quite a fascinating process.

The development of eggs takes place within the uterus. First-generation females can fertilize their own eggs and reproduce within their host, a process that does not require male nematodes. The sperm and eggs are produced in the same reproductive organ. A single female can produce up to 1000 eggs.

The egg-maturing process can take up to ninety-five hours or more. Developing eggs leave the ovaries, passing through a tube or oviduct to reach the uterus. The oviduct comprises a section known as the spermatheca where the eggs are fertilized. From there, fertilized eggs reach the uterus. The egg then moves towards the vulva to be released. Following this process, a single infective juvenile can produce thousands of nematodes.

Read more: https://www.wormatlas.org/hermaphrodite/intestine/Intframeset.html