Bob the worm: The life cycle of an entomopathogenic Heterorhabditis nematode

by Hillel Schwartz

see the whole book (in low resolution) "Bob the worm" is a lighthearted,cartoonish look at how one type of worms live in the they hunt down insects that they will use as their home and as food, before their descendants repeat the process several generations later.Although written as a kid's book, the biology described is entomopathogenic nematodes (roundworms) of the genus Heterorhabditis infect, infest, and consume insects, relying on a partnership with symbiotic bacteria essential to their survival and success. These bacteria kill the insect, defend the carcass from other microorganisms and other predators, and provide a food source for the Heterorhabditis nematode; in turn, when the carcass is crowded the worms will disperse in search of new insect hosts, each carrying bacteria that could neither survive in the soil nor infect new insects without them. The book gives a simplified and friendly presentation of this life cycle, and offers an opportunity to discuss what is happening in the natural world around us every day.

25 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 8, 2015