Description of Ektaphelenchoides spondylis n. sp. (Nematoda: Ektaphelenchinae) isolated from Spondylis buprestoides (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Japan

Abstract

AbstractEktaphelenchoides spondylis n. sp. is described and figured from Spondylis buprestoides. The new species is characterised by the bipartite stylet conus, male spicule with rounded condylus, blunt rostrum and plate-like cucullus, long postuterine sac and long and smoothly tapering female tail. The new species is almost morphologically identical to E. compsi, but can be distinguished from it by stylet morphology, female tail shape, male ratio (a) and molecular sequence of the D2/D3 expansion segment of the large subunit of ribosomal DNA. In the molecular phylogenetic analysis, E. spondylis n. sp. formed a well supported clade with E. compsi within Ektaphelenchoides. Based upon molecular phylogenetic analysis with one locus, Ektaphelenchoides spp. formed a well supported clade and Ektaphelenchus and Cryptaphelenchus also formed a well supported clade. However, the molecular and morphological information available from our study are insufficient to revise the generic taxonomy of the subfamily. More sampling and an integrated taxonomic revision of the subfamily Ektaphelenchinae are needed.