Figure 4

Different C. elegans stages were found in slug intestines and body remainder. The experiment was based on characterization of a total of 84 slugs. Of these, 31 were analyzed after 24 h (top row; 6 slugs for the dauer larvae treatment, 9 for the L1, 6 for the L4, 5 for the adult, and 5 for the no-worms control treatment); 25 slugs after 48 h (middle row; 7 slugs for the dauer larvae treatment, 5 for the L1, 6 for the L4, 5 for the adult, and 2 for the no-worms control treatment); and 28 slugs after 6 days (bottom row; 9 slugs for the dauer larvae treatment, 6 for the L1, 6 for the L4, 3 for the adult, and 4 for the no-worms control treatment). The graph does not show results for the control treatment, because these did not contain any of the labeled C. elegans. For the other treatments (given along the X axis), the presence of worms was separately analyzed for slug intestines and the remainder of the body (left and right columns, respectively). Worms were counted in categories (category 0 = no worms, category 1 = 1–10 worms, category 2 = 11–30 worms, category 3 = 31–50 worms, category 4 = more than 50 worms). For illustration, we calculated a frequency index by taking the average of the ordered categories per worm stage, slug body part, and time point. The Y axes show the worm frequency indices (±standard error). C. elegans L1, L4, adult and dauer larva stages were able to enter the intestine of slugs within 24 h. Worms associated also with the outside of the slugs and could be found on the remains. After 48 h (24 h after separating the slugs from the worms) almost no worms were found in the intestine or on the remainder. The only value that differed significantly from all others from the same body part and time point is indicated by an asterisk.