Mermithid nematodes: physiological relationships with their insect hosts

Knowledge of the physiological processes involved in the relationships between insects and their mermithid parasites is reviewed with respect to the effects of mermithids on host physiology, effects of host physiology on mermithids, and the physiology of nematodes themselves. Most physiological research has focussed on Mermis nigescens in grasshoppers and locusts, and Romanomermis culicivorax in mosquitoes. The application of physiological research to the development of in vitro culture methods is discussed.ADDITIONAL ABSTRACT:The physiological relationships of mermithid nematodes with their insect hosts are reviewed, with special reference to the effects of the parasites on their hosts' physiology, the effects of the hosts' physiology on the parasites and the physiology of mermithids..