Axenic liquid static culture of entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae supplemented with nematode-infected insect cadaver

To establish an easy axenic culture method for Steinernema carpocapsae and to understand the nutrition provided for nematode growth and propagation produced in the insect cadaver, we tested several supplementations to axenic liquid cultures. S. carpocapsae grew but reproduced poorly on the liquid static axenic culture developed for bacterial-feeding nematodes; however, supplementation by S. carpocapsae-infected insect cadavers sterilized by autoclaving largely improved nematode growth and propagation. These results suggest supplementation of the cadaver is a useful method to improve axenic culture and the autoclaved nematode-infected insect contains important heat-stable nutritional factors for the growth and reproduction of S. carpocapsae.