First investigations on the effects of transgenic Brassica napus L. on the trophic structure of the nematofauna.

Hexamermis sp. an entomopathogenous nematode associated with the European stink bug

The nematodes of the Mermithidae family are a large and important group obligatory parasite of arthropods, principally insects, and are almost always lethal to their hosts. They are usually specific to a single species or to one or two families of them. A mermithid of the genus Hexamermis Steiner, was found parasiting the stink bug Rhaphigaster nebulosa Poda (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), present on hazelnut plants in the Piedmont region. The bug feeds on various broadleaved woody plant and is considered a serious pest for Mermithidae in Italy. Considerations regarding the taxonomy of the Hexamermis genus are reported. From the taxonomic point of view is very difficult to describe the different…