Studies of bacterial community in G. mellonella larvae alone or infected with Heterorhabditis megidis nematodes; 16S and 18S rDNA loci

In this study, we aim to understand the bacterial community associated with both freeze-killed and H. megidis-killed G. mellonella larvae decomposition over time. From a pathogenesis perspective, we want to test the hypothesis that a symbiont of H. megidis, the bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens, dominates the nematode-killed insect larvae community in contrast to the freeze killed community.