16S amplicon sequencing of bacteria from two entomopathogenic nematodes, along with their nematode-free hosts, as negative controls. Targeted loci

We have sequenced the V3V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene from four distinct sources. 1) Drosophila falleni; 2) Howardula aoronymphium (parasite of D. falleni); 3) Spelobia sp.; and 4) parasitic nematode of Spelobia sp. The goal of this work was to determine whether a newly described clade of endosymbiotic bacteria, Symbiopectobacterium, is found in Howardula or its host, and whether closely related nematodes (in Spelobia) harbour similar symbionts.